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Cast Your Nets

January 28, 2020 by KMMA

I have written several blogs on the value of taking action and, fortunately for me, action orientation comes somewhat naturally to me. I may be accused at times of acting before thinking but seldom for thinking excessively at the expense of action. What I have always struggled with is patience and faith. Specifically, as a Christian, I know that I am commanded to be still and wait on the Lord (Psalm 37:7), but I have always had a hard time with that. Transparently, I have not only always felt it was up to me to fix whatever was wrong but also struggled with the balance between faith and sowing my fields. I am naturally a hard worker; the faith part comes harder. The Lord gave me a revelation on my ride this Sunday though. I should continue to do all that I know how to do and trust Him to bless my work.

When Jesus met Simon Peter and the other disciples one morning, after they’d experienced a long and disappointing night where they’d been fishing hard but caught no fish, He didn’t tell them to sit down so he could feed them; He told them to them to cast their nets.

Luke 5:1-11

1 One day as Jesus was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret, the people were crowding around him and listening to the word of God. 2 He saw at the water’s edge two boats, left there by the fishermen, who were washing their nets. 3 He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little from shore. Then he sat down and taught the people from the boat. 4 When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch.” 5 Simon answered, “Master, we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets.” 6 When they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break. 7 So they signaled their partners in the other boat to come and help them, and they came and filled both boats so full that they began to sink. 8 When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus’ knees and said, “Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!” 9 For he and all his companions were astonished at the catch of fish they had taken, 10 and so were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, Simon’s partners. Then Jesus said to Simon, “Don’t be afraid; from now on you will fish for people.” 11 So they pulled their boats up on shore, left everything and followed him.
I have three main take-aways I’d like to share with you today:
  • We all must keep casting our nets. In whatever we are called to do, we have specific things that are part of our work that we know we have to do. We must consistently do this, even when “we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything”. An important part of our faith is casting the net again.
  • For me, the second important revelation of my weekend meditation is that I can’t stress about the result. I can’t control it. I can only control what I do. I can only do all that I know how to do. Once I do this, the second important part of faith is that I must trust in and wait on the Lord.
  • In reading Luke 5:1-11 this morning I had one more very refreshing revelation. My team and I are fishers of men (and ladies). I am grateful that I have a calling and a mission to serve other people. I am grateful that I get to sow into students and into my team member’s lives. I am grateful that God is using me for good works.

 

In what areas do you need to cast your nets one more time?

What is your calling?

How can I help?