When Exhausted, Trust the Word: Following Simon's Example

Brother, Sister, have you ever felt utterly spent? You’ve poured out your energy, you’ve studied, you’ve prepared, and it feels like you’ve done everything you possibly can. You’re ready to call it quits on a particular challenge, a study, or even a feeling of spiritual fatigue. You’re thinking, “I’ve fished all night, and all I’ve got is exhaustion.”

That feeling—that deep, bone-tired sense of having given your all—is profoundly relatable. It’s the feeling that sometimes accompanies the most challenging moments in the field, or even after weeks of intense study for a Book Club. We look at the disciples, and we see the miracle, but we forget the *process* that led to it.

The story of Simon, as shared recently, is a powerful reminder that divine timing and divine power often require us to act even when our natural feelings scream the opposite. When Jesus told Simon, “Even if you have not caught anything all night, go out again,” Simon’s natural response was frustration. He was tired. He was ready to rest.

But the pivot point, the moment where the Spirit nudges us toward action, is when he chose to act *based on the word*. He didn't argue with the exhaustion; he yielded to the promise: “According to your word, I will let down the nets.”

The Spirit Doesn't Always Roar; Sometimes It Whispers Through Scripture

It’s easy, when we’re in the thick of missionary preparation or deep in scripture study, to expect a booming voice from heaven. But as this testimony beautifully illustrated, God speaks in varied ways. Sometimes, the prompt isn't a voice; it’s opening a book of meditations, it’s highlighting a verse in LivingBook, or it’s the gentle nudge to review a doctrine you thought you knew cold.

The key takeaway here, dear disciples, is that the *action* is often the catalyst. The action wasn't fishing; the action was opening the word and choosing to trust the word. When we feel spiritually depleted—when our own efforts feel like they’ve yielded nothing—we must remember that our capacity to receive the Spirit is often directly tied to our willingness to act on the promptings of the scriptures, even when our feelings suggest otherwise.

“According to your word, I will let down the nets.”

This isn't just a story about fishing; it’s a blueprint for discipleship. It’s for the returning missionary who feels like their first few assignments weren't 'it.' It's for the lifelong disciple feeling the weight of the world's problems. It’s for us all who are learning to be Internet missionaries.

A Skill for the Field: Trusting the Unseen Promise

Here is a small skill I want to pass along to the next wave. When you are studying with an investigator, and you feel like you’ve covered every angle, and you feel like you’ve given all the doctrinal answers you know, pause. Instead of filling the silence with more facts, gently redirect them back to the *power of the word*. You can say something like, “We’ve covered a lot of ground, and I feel the Spirit guiding me to something simple: sometimes, the most powerful thing we can do is simply read the scripture together and trust what we read.”

This mirrors Simon's decision. It shifts the focus from our accumulated knowledge (our effort) to the divine source (the word). It’s a powerful testimony to share in missionary discussions.

If you are feeling spiritually drained right now, don't let that define your potential. Open the scriptures. Read a passage—maybe even revisit a favorite scripture study in HolyPlaces—and then, commit to acting on what you read, even if the immediate result isn't visible. That act of faith is where the miracle begins.

If you want to deepen this practice, I highly recommend checking out the latest insights from Iron Rod authors available in LivingBook. They have wonderful guidance on translating scripture into modern action. For a deeper dive into how to handle tough questions in the field, don't forget to utilize Davee’s AI Investigator role—he’s excellent at walking you through the hard questions an investigator might ask!

If you’re ready to build on this, join us for our free weekly Disciple Challenge this week. It’s a chance to practice this principle together!