Welcome to my blog. I've thought about starting one of these for a long time. So here goes! Let me know your thoughts and ideas for topics. Stop by for a cup of coffee anytime!
Tom
Fishing in the Wrong Spot
Simon Peter said to them, “I am going fishing.” They said to him, “We will go with you.” They went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing. Just as day was breaking, Jesus stood on the shore; yet the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to them, “Children, do you have any fish?” They answered him, “No.” He said to them, “Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some.” So they cast it, and now they were not able to haul it in, because of the quantity of fish. -John 21:3-6 ESV
Do you have a favorite place to go fishing? I always knew of a few that I could count on to at least yield enough fish to make the trip worthwhile and usually there were one or two spots that the location you kept so guarded that you even James Bond wouldn’t be able to find out from you where they were. However, no matter how secret you thought it might be, there always seemed to be someone walking by and asking, “How’s the fishing? Catching any?”
After Jesus’ resurrection, he appeared to the disciples on several occasions. The account in the text was the third time He appeared to them. Seven of the disciples decided to go fishing. Since they were fishermen by trade, I suppose this gave them some comfort to be able to do something familiar that they hadn’t done in a long time. They spent the entire night fishing but didn’t catch a thing. Then in the morning, some joker on the shore asks them, “Where’s your fish?” I can only imagine the frustration they felt. Then this person tells them to cast their nets on the right side of the boat. Really, so you mean they were fishing on the wrong side all night! Come on fella! So they did as they were told. Do you think they believed for one second that it would make a difference? Then when they pulled up the nets, they almost sank the boat due to the size of the catch. Only then did they realize it was Jesus on the shore.
How many times have you tried to do things on your own, only to come up empty. When we listen to Jesus and let Him guide us, can we find the right place to “fish.” He is in control and we just need to believe in Him. He knows us and knows our needs. He is waiting for us on the shore. Let’s go fishing!
Oh, magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together! -Psalm 34:3 ESV
That is the hard part sometimes giving up the control. Our Pastor did a sermon on this once and commented that the side Jesus told them to throw the nets on was not normally the side they would ever fish off, of so they had to trust even more.
ReplyDeleteGiving up control is one to the hardest things to do. God has a way of making that evident but when we get out of our own way the rewards are amazing!
DeleteI also look at this passage as proof that God has a sense of humor. These guys have been fishing all night to no avail and then comes this person who says, "Friends, have you no fish?" They had no clue who this person was until after they listened to him. Great stuff!