Finding God’s Best on the Other Side of Obedience

[Finding God’s Best on the Other Side of Obedience]( Current Teaching Series [How God Turns Setbacks Into Comebacks]( [Listen to Today's Broadcast]( [Finding God’s Best on the Other Side of Obedience]( By Rick Warren — 10/22/2023 [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [Pinterest]( [Email](mailto:?subject=I'd%20like%20to%20share%20a%20Daily%20Devotional%20from%20Pastor%20Rick%20with%20you&body= “‘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) We all suffer setbacks at work from time to time. But sometimes the simplest step from setback to comeback is just two words: Obey God. Imagine this scenario: God has told you to do something that seems illogical and foolish to you. It makes no sense financially, relationally, or emotionally. Worse yet, it scares you to death. But God says to do it anyway. The next move is yours: Obey God or go your own way. For the past couple of days, we’ve been looking at a story from the Bible about a business setback. In Luke 5, Simon Peter had been fishing all night and caught nothing. For first-century fishermen, it would have been an awful setback. But Jesus came by and used Simon Peter’s boat to preach. Then Jesus told him: “Now go out where it is deeper, and let down your nets to catch some fish” (Luke 5:4 NLT). Jesus told Simon Peter what to do—and then Simon Peter had to make the choice to obey. Jesus’ instruction was completely illogical. On the surface it made no sense. After all, they had fished all night and caught nothing! So why did Jesus tell Simon Peter to go out again—and into the deeper water? It’s in the deep water where you find the most fish. But it’s also where you find the biggest risk. And there’s no faith without risk. So did Simon Peter decide to obey? “‘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). Simon Peter did what Jesus told him to do. He didn’t do it because it was a smart or popular idea. He did it because God said to do it. He didn’t argue or hesitate. And, through his obedience, God gave Simon Peter and his companions a bigger business success than they could have dreamed. The Bible says God gave them so many fish that their nets tore and they had to enlist the help of other fishermen. But none of that happened until Simon Peter obeyed Jesus—even when it was illogical to obey him. What has God told you to do that you’re not doing? Does it seem impossible? Does it make little sense financially? Is he telling you to go into the deep water? It doesn’t matter how foolish it seems. God wants you to take a risk and obey him. The choice is yours: You can either stay in the shallow end where it’s safe or go into the deep water where the fish are. Once you obey, God will take care of the rest. Your best days are on the other side of your obedience. So will you obey? [PLAY today’s audio teaching from Pastor Rick >>]( Talk It Over - When you’ve hit a setback, do you find it easier or harder to obey God when he asks you to do something tough? - Why would God ask you to take risks when you’re struggling through a setback? - What has God asked you to do that you’re struggling to obey? What step of obedience can you take today? The post [Finding God’s Best on the Other Side of Obedience]( appeared first on [Pastor Rick's Daily Hope](. [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [Pinterest]( [Email](mailto:?subject=I'd%20like%20to%20share%20a%20Daily%20Devotional%20from%20Pastor%20Rick%20with%20you&body= [Get The Power of Gratitude when you give a gift to support Daily Hope!]( Gratitude makes you more resistant to stress and increases your happiness and satisfaction. So it should come as no surprise that the Bible tells us to, "Rejoice always, pray continually, and give thanks in all circumstances" (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18). But it’s not always easy to feel grateful. That’s why Pastor Rick created The Power of Gratitude, a Bible study filled with Scripture, teaching, exercises, quotes, prayers, and journal pages to help you develop the lifelong habit of expressing gratitude to God. [LEARN MORE]( [Complete Audio Series (Purchase)]( Includes 8 full-length messages from Pastor Rick's series How God Turns Setbacks Into Comebacks. [LEARN MORE]( [Series Summary]( Message 1: When You've Had a Business Setback Message 2: When Your Setback Seems Irreversible Message 3: When a Setback Isn't Your Fault Message 4: When a Setback Leaves You Emotionally Empty Message 5: When You Feel Like Giving Up Message 6: When Others Keep Setting You Back Message 7: When a Setback Fills You with Fear Message 8: When No One Understands Your Goal [PLAY TODAY'S BROADCAST]( Pastor Rick Warren [Facebook]( [Instagram]( [Linkedin]( Enjoy today's devotional? Listen to Pastor Rick’s daily audio teaching at [PastorRick.com]( Did someone forward this devotional to you? [Subscribe to Pastor Rick Warren's Daily Devotional.]( Rick Warren is the founding pastor of [Saddleback Church]( one of America’s largest and most influential churches. Pastor Rick is the author of the New York Times bestseller [The Purpose Driven Life](. His book [The Purpose Driven Church]( was named one of the 100 Christian books that changed the 20th century. 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