If you will flourish in life, one thing you need is simple obedience. When Jesus told a dejected fisherman who had toiled all night but caught nothing to once more launch into the deep and let down his net for a great catch, his response in Luke 5:5b was:
“Master, we have toiled all the night, and have taken nothing: nevertheless at thy word I will let down the net.”
The result of his simple obedience was a net-breaking and boat-sinking haul of fish, which had the capacity to transform his life forever. Beloved, God knows more than you do. Isaiah 40:28 says there is no searching of His understanding. If God instructs you to do something, please don’t argue with Him, because compared to Him, you don’t know anything. 1st Corinthians 1:25 says:
“Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men.”
If God says “this is the way” and it looks like a bush to you, I would advise you to simply go through that bush and don’t try to rationalise what God has said. When God asks you to do something and you don’t understand it because it doesn’t make sense to you, just remember that simple obedience is the key to flourishing.

When I became born again, I had a lot of problems with tithing. I said to myself, “What are those people talking about? One hundred percent is not enough, yet you are asking me to give ten percent. How will ninety percent handle what a hundred percent cannot cover?” Indeed, tithing doesn’t make mathematical sense, but when you are dealing with God, it won’t always make sense. He is too big for you to understand with your little brain. It took me a while before I began to tithe, but I started and suddenly things began to change for the better. The first thing that happened after I paid my tithe was that I got to my office and my head of department called me aside and asked why I had not requested any money for my research. At that time, I didn’t even know that there was any money provided to fund research. He then explained to me that I needed money so I could travel to gather data, and he asked me to apply for a certain sum. When I heard the amount, I couldn’t believe it; I thought something had gone wrong with my hearing! When God decides to help you, He will give you instructions, and your flourishing will be determined by how well you obey these instructions. Are you walking in simple obedience?
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.