“But because you say so, I will let down the nets.” (Luke 5:5)

One of the things as a child that I rarely appreciated hearing were those words from my parents as a response to my constant questioning about their decision. It meant that there would be no further explanation and no more discussion. The decision was made. That, of course, left me in a place where there could be no more debate.

And of course, as a parent, I often found myself using those same words with a deeper appreciation of their importance. You know the words I’m talking about? ‘Because I said so’. Yet, as God’s child, I still hear those words spoken to me. Honestly, there are many times that I do not understand God’s reasoning. There seems to be other logic and other ways of living that often seem to make a lot of sense to me. As I hear God’s Word, it invites me to trust and believe not because I understand it, but rather simply to trust and follow, listen and obey because He said so.

When Jesus called Simon to follow as his disciple, he asked him to push out from shore and to drop his net for some fish. Peter, a seasoned fisherman, explained to the Teacher that he had been out all night fishing and caught nothing. You can almost hear the gentle pleading, as Simon in a sense is saying, ‘Lord, I tried that already’.

Simon then adds these words in his response, “But because you say so, I will let down the nets.” (Luke 5:5) And when Simon obeyed, there were more fish than he knew what to do with, more than he could handle.

When it comes to God saying, ‘Because I said so’, it comes down to trust, obedience to His authority, and His will. It was Jesus who showed what such obedience looks like when he asked the Heavenly Father to allow the cup of suffering and the crucifixion to pass away from him. But then he added, “But not my will, but your will be done.” (Luke 22:42)

In a sense, He was saying, ‘Because you say so’.

Prayer
Heavenly Father, because You say so, we come to You in prayer. We trust You. We know that Your promises are true. And even when things do not make sense and Your instructions sometimes are beyond our wisdom, help us and grant us the faith to continue to trust and be obedient, simply because You have instructed us in Your Word.

Speak to us today with that Word. Strengthen us in faith and help us to walk in obedience as we follow You. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.