He (Jesus) said to Simon, “Put out into the deep water and let down your nets for a catch.” Simon answered and said, “Master, we worked hard all night and caught nothing, but I will do as You say and let down the nets.” When they had done this, they enclosed a great quantity of fish, and their nets began to break; so they signalled to their partners in the other boat for them to come and help them. And they came and filled both of the boats, so that they began to sink. Luke 5:4-7 (NASB)
Frank Sinatra sang the words, “I did it my way,” and many people have lived out that sentiment. Take, for example, the episode with the new cart in 2 Samuel 6. David’s desire was clear and simple. He wanted the Ark returned to its place as the centrepiece of worship and devotion in Israel. He wanted God placed back in the centre of the national consciousness. His motive was pure but his method was wrong. The construction and transportation of the Ark was clearly communicated through Moses to the people in the Scriptures. It was to be carried with staves of wood through the rings on the side of the Ark, and transported it on a new cart. The Bible says that they “set the Ark of God upon a new cart”. David made good plans and good preparations, but he neglected to do it God’s way. He paid a high price for this decision. In Proverbs 14:12 we read:
There is a way which seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death. Proverbs 14:12 (WEB)
Let’s take another example, Saul, in 1 Samuel 15. God told him:
Now go and smite Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have; do not spare them, but kill both man and woman, infant and suckling, ox and sheep, camel and ass. 1 Samuel 15:3 (KJV)
Did Saul do that? Verse 9 describes his fatal disobedience.
But Saul and the people spared Agag, and the best of the sheep and of the oxen and of the fatlings, and the lambs, and of all that was good, and would not utterly destroy them; all that was despised and worthless they utterly destroyed. 1 Samuel 15:9 (KJV)
He spared the best of the cattle and sheep – and he spared King Agag. In other words, he did it his way and again with disastrous results.
Take a further example, Luke 5. Peter and his friends had been out fishing all night, and they were up on the shore cleaning their nets. It had been a rough night – and they were up on the shore cleaning their nets. It had been a rough night they had worked hard – but they hadn’t caught a thing! Jesus said to Simon, “ Put out into the deep water and let down your nets for a catch.”
There were all kinds of reasons Peter could have given for not doing this: firstly, Jesus wasn’t a fisherman; secondly, it was the wrong time of the day for fishing (it was too hot); and besides, Peter and his friends were tired – they had been out all night. But Peter chose to be obedient and we see what happened when he followed the directions from Christ.
When they pulled up their nets, they were shocked to see a huge catch of fish, so much that their nets were ready to burst! Luke 5:6 (TPT)
God’s way is best.