Discipleship Devotional Study Guide – If – Luke 5:5 – But If You Say So – Growing As Disciples
“Master,” Simon replied, “we worked hard all last night and didn’t catch a thing. But if you say so, I’ll let the nets down again.” Luke 5:5 (NLT)
Because
Will you do what I ask of you? Does what I ask of you always need to make sense to you? Do you need to understand fully what I am asking of you in order for you to obey me? Will you go and do what I ask of you even when it does not seem to make sense to you at the time? Will you obey me simply because I asked you to do something for me? This is an interesting group of questions for me to consider. My quick answer is that I will obey you simply because you have asked me to do something for you. Who am I that I would think that I would need to fully understand everything before I would obey you? I am not all wise. I know in part. You know in full. I see in part. You see in full. You see the future. I can only see the past. What has your past experience with me shown you? You are likely to ask me to do things for you that I don’t fully understand. As a matter of fact, it is very unlikely that I will ever fully understand all that you ask me to do for you. Only by looking in the past have I been more fully able to understand some of what you have asked of me. What has happened to you when you have obeyed me even when you have not fully understood what I have asked of you? I have passed your test. You have helped me to obey you. Your blessing has come into my life. You have allowed me to bear fruit for your kingdom and bring glory to your name. You have grown my faith in you. You have filled me with joy in my knowing that I have done what you have asked of me. This is all true.
When have you been tempted to not obey me? What must you be on guard against? I have been tempted to not obey you when I have been tired and worn out. In those moments I have sometimes wrongly thought that you couldn’t be asking me to do something else for you. But, I am learning that you will give me the strength to do whatever you ask of me. Yes, I will. What else? There have been times when I have set myself up as an expert. I have thought that I didn’t need any advice, suggestions and direction from anyone. At these times I have wrongly thought that you couldn’t be asking me to do something for you because it did not line up with my own understanding, expertise and experience. But, I am learning that you know far better than I what needs to be done, when it needs to be done, and why it needs to be done. So, I am learning to say yes to you simply because you have asked me to do something for you. That is very good.
Lord, I know I have mistakenly set myself up as an expert that didn’t need to receive advice or direction. Forgive me. That’s over. Now, I will go and do all you ask of me. I don’t need to understand everything. All I need to know is that you have asked me. Amen
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If – Luke 5-5 – But If You Say So – 4 Page Discipleship Devotional Study Guide
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