Working Without Word

And Simon answering said unto him, Master, we have toiled all the night, and have taken nothing: nevertheless at thy word I will let down the net. (Luke 5:5 KJV)

Toiled all night
Simon Peter and his partners were professional fishermen. But they toiled all night in their own effort and they caught nothing.

At thy word
But he obeyed the Word of God and caught so many fish that their nets began ripping apart.

Working without the word
When we were young, we were told to work hard. We were told not to be lazy. It is not wrong to work hard. The Bible commends those who worked hard (1 Thessalonians 5:12, 1 Timothy 5:17). But we worked and worked and worked, thinking that we will be rewarded for our effort. Sometimes we seemed to like the hard work for itself. But we worked without the word. The result is we have nothing.

Our real work
Remember this. Our work is to believe in the One whom He sent.

Jesus told them, "This is the only work God wants from you: Believe in the one he has sent." (John 6:29 NLT)