Seeds of Wisdom

UNFRUITFUL TOILING IS OVER

"But Simon answered and said to Him, ‘Master, we have toiled all night and caught nothing; nevertheless at Your word I will let down the net."

Luke 5:5

In Luke 5:1-11, Peter experienced a divine turnaround acting on the words of Jesus. After a fruitless toil all night, Peter partnered with Jesus, when he released his boat for Him to use to preach to the people. That day, two boats were standing by the Lake of Gennesaret and the fishermen who had gone from them were washing their nets upon Jesus’ arrival. Neither Peter’s boat nor the second boat that belonged to his partners caught any fish. But Mercy chose the boat of Peter that day. God says He will have mercy on whom He will have mercy, and He will have compassion on whom He will have compassion (Romans 9:15). 

By the mercy of God, you will experience a divine visitation and turn around. The Greek word translated toiled in Luke 5:5 is “Kopiao”, which means to feel exhaustion; by implication, it is to labour with no result.

Peter was an experienced fisherman, but it takes more than experience to make it in life. Peter’s experience did not help him at the time. Some situations of life defy experience; they result in fruitless toil that only causes weariness. They drain people’s strength and resources.

To avoid this, you need the power of God, you need a Word of direction from Him, to know what to do. “Unless the LORD builds a house, the work of the builders is useless.” Jesus told Peter to launch out into the deep for a catch. That did not make sense to Peter because he had tried everything all night when it was the best time for fishing but without success. Nevertheless, Peter acted on the words of Jesus, and this ‘trial’, one more time, resulted in a catch that began to tear his net. It takes God’s intervention to terminate the spirit of toiling. I decree toiling time is over, and God will lead you to a successful end in this season.

Further Reading: Luke 5:1-12, Proverbs 8:7-21

Prayer: Pray that the Lord will lead you to a bumper harvest this year.