The Northwest enterprise. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1931-1952, 1931-04-23
SerIllOnette
Toilers OF The Night


Master, we have toiied all night
and have taken nothing.-Luke SIS.
Jesus said unto Simon: Launch
out into the deep and let down your
nets for draught." Simon said
Master, we have toiled all the night
and have taken nothing; neverthe-
less, at Thy word, will let down the
net" The result was a great multi
tude of fishes due directly to their
act of obedience. Peter was discour-
aged because they had toiled all night
and had caught nothing. In the face
of an all-night failure he was in
credulous, but at the word of his
Master he was willing to obey. 1t
was an act of obedience under the
Encouragement of failure and was
bound to bring its reward. His ODE
dience opened up and secured for
him a more perfect knowledge and
appreciation of Jesus than he ever
had possessed.
Christ Was in the Futile Toll of the
Night
Christ knew all about the failure
of the previous night. He had OBJ
served their futile search and weary
wanderings over the sea during the
dark watches of the slowly passing
night. Jesus was in that failure as
much as he was in the success that
followed it. He would make it con-
tribute to their eternal good. The
knowledge of self obtained through
the discovery of Christ is one of the
chief elements of power in seeking
and attempting to help others. The
disciples were to be convinced of
their own limitations and the limit
lessness of Jesus. and this is just
what occurred when the net was
filled to the breaking point. The
Saviour saw the toiling fishermen
through the lonely hours of the Syr-
ian night and chose that the morning
should find their nets empty and
their spirits discouraged, and yet
that long night of failure and those
discouraged spirits would serve as a
splendid background and a fertile
field for matchless revelation of
himself as the Son of God and the
Saviour of men. Their failure was
the best thing that could have hap
pened at this particular time. 1t
would mean far more to them than
broken nets and filled boats; for in
the evolutionary process of his di-
vine purpose there would follow an
amazing disclosure of the power and
wisdom of Jesus. God is sometimes
more kindly to us in our failures
than in our successes.
Perseverance Regardless of Results
The path of duty lies before every
man. In the discharge of duty man
finds his greatest help to character
formation and development. To do
ones duty is not always easy-not
always popular, nor does it always
bring immediate success. Some of
the most discouraging results follow
me honest discharge of duty-results
that are disconcerting, painful and
sometimes heart-rending. Yet there
is only one path which the homes.
man must follow and that is the path
of duty. Christ followed the path of
love and duty, and although it led by
Calvary He unhesitatingly and un-
flinchingly chose that rugged way Of
blood and tears. In pursuing the
right. in the discharge of our duty
we must not faint nor falter, and
although we may have toiled all
night and caught nothing, we must
yet keep faith in the boundless re-
sources that are at the disposal of
the righteous. To hope against hope,
to fight against odds, to struggle on
ward in the face of constant failure
is no easy task for flesh and blood.
But this is our task. This is our hope.
Grace Presbyterian Church, Rev.
John r. Harris, PASTORAL 9:45,
church school-all divisions. New
classes forming. Children's Day