At Thy Word With Reverend Matthew WatleySample

Day 2: Officially Open, But Technically Closed

Have you ever pulled up to a drive-thru, hungry and ready to order, only to hear the worker say, “Sorry, we’re all out of that”? The restaurant might be open, the lights might be on, but if they don’t have what you came for, they’re technically closed.

In the same way, there are moments in life when the door of opportunity is wide open, but we’re not positioned to receive what God is serving.

Have you ever stood before an open door that you never actually walked through? Sometimes, God places opportunities right in front of us: new seasons, new callings, new relationships, but the breakthrough never happens because our posture isn’t right. The invitation is open, but the access is blocked by pride, hesitation, or fear.

In Luke 5, after Jesus finishes teaching, He tells Simon, “Launch out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.” The door to a miracle is wide open, but Simon’s first response reveals the tension many of us face: “Master, we have toiled all night and caught nothing.”

You can almost hear the weight in his voice. The weariness of effort without reward. The sting of disappointment after doing everything “right” and still coming up empty. Simon isn’t lazy; he’s tired. He’s been trying. He’s been working. And now, here’s Jesus telling him to go back out at the wrong time of day, to the same place that had already failed him.

We’ve all been there, standing in the space between exhaustion and expectation. You prayed before, and nothing changed. You gave your best effort, and it still didn’t work. The temptation in that moment is to protect your heart by lowering your hope. Simon could have said, “I’ve already tried that,” and missed what God was setting up next.

But faith often asks us to try again in the very place we once failed. That’s the tension of trust. Jesus doesn’t always change the location; sometimes, He changes our posture in the same location. The same water, the same nets, but a different word from God. And that makes all the difference.

In that moment, something in Peter chooses obedience over exhaustion: “Nevertheless, at Your word, I will let down the net.” Simon could have stayed in shallow waters, replaying last night’s failures. Instead, he responds in faith, and that decision changes everything. Because even when the door is open, it’s our obedience that turns opportunity into transformation.

God still invites us to “launch out into the deep.” But before we move forward, He often calls us to check our posture. Are we humble enough to admit we don’t know it all? Are we surrendered enough to obey, even when it feels illogical or inconvenient?

Jesus doesn’t just open doors; He waits for hearts that are aligned. When our posture matches His purpose, access becomes activation.

Reflection Questions

1. What “open door” might God have placed before you that still requires a step of obedience?
2. What attitudes or fears keep you from walking through fully?
3. How does obedience, especially when it doesn’t make sense, unlock what you’ve been praying for?

Prayer

Lord, thank You for the doors You’ve opened in my life. Help me not to stand at the threshold in hesitation or pride. Teach me to move in faith, humility, and alignment with Your Word. Give me the courage to launch out into the deep, trusting that whatever waits on the other side of obedience is better than anything I could imagine. In Jesus’ name, Amen.