“Master, we have toiled all the night and have taken nothing; but at Thy word I will let down the net.” Luke 5:5

There’s something deeply human in Simon Peter’s voice in this moment. He’s exhausted. Frustrated. Practical. He knows the waters. He knows the fish. And he knows they’re not biting. Every part of his fisherman brain is telling him this is pointless.

And yet, he says yes.

That one decision – to obey even when it doesn’t make sense – changed everything.

Obedience: The Humble Yes That Changes Everything

The miracle of the great catch of fish didn’t begin with nets – it began with trust.

Peter didn’t argue, even though he had every worldly reason to. He simply responded, “At Thy word.” It wasn’t strategy. It wasn’t desperation. It was humility. He recognized that Jesus, though not a fisherman, had authority beyond his own expertise.

Obedience is often misunderstood. It can feel like passivity or blind surrender. But in reality, obedience is an active virtue – one that requires the strength to bend our own will toward something greater than ourselves. It’s saying, “I don’t understand, but I trust You anyway.”

How many times have we felt like Peter?

How many times have we “toiled all night”? Poured ourselves into something – relationships, callings, healing journeys – only to feel like we’ve come up empty?

And how many times has the Lord whispered, “Let down your nets again”?

Humility: Recognizing Who He Is (and Who We Are)

After the miracle, Peter’s first response isn’t pride. It’s confession:

“Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord.”

He sees clearly: not just the power of Christ, but his own smallness in the face of it. Humility isn’t self-hatred. It’s the right ordering of who we are before a holy God. Peter doesn’t shrink because of shame – he shrinks because grace has grown.

And that’s exactly the kind of heart Jesus chooses to build His Church upon.

God doesn’t demand perfection before calling us. He doesn’t wait for us to be emotionally energized or logically convinced. He calls the weary, the hesitant, the imperfect – and then He multiplies their obedience into abundance.

What Does This Look Like for Us?

In the modern world, we are constantly encouraged to “trust our gut,” “follow our truth,” or “do what feels right.” But sometimes, what feels right is staying in the boat, pulling the nets in, and going home to bed.

Faith, however, calls us back to the water.

Sometimes the most powerful prayer we can offer is:

“Lord, I don’t get it. But because You say so…”

Maybe He’s asking you to try again – to open your heart after heartbreak, to forgive someone who hasn’t apologized, to walk through a door you thought was already closed.

Maybe He’s asking you to be faithful in a season that feels fruitless, to keep showing up even when nothing seems to be happening.

Let this story be your encouragement:

Obedience always bears fruit, even when you can’t see the catch yet.

For the Woman Reading This:

You might feel like your efforts are wasted. That you’re unseen. That what you’ve offered has come back empty.

But what if Jesus is simply asking you to trust Him deeper?

What if the miracle is waiting on the other side of your “Yes, Lord”?

Don’t let exhaustion or discouragement harden your heart. Don’t assume He’s done just because you’ve reached the end of yourself. That’s often when He begins.

Like Peter, you don’t have to understand it all – you just have to obey.

A Simple Invitation:

• Ask yourself: Where in my life is Jesus asking me to let down my nets again?
• Pray for the grace to respond with humility and trust.
• Let go of needing to see the outcome. Obedience is not measured by results, but by love.