Then Jesus said to them, “Children, have you any food?” They answered Him, “No.” And He said to them, “Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some.” So, they cast, and now they were not able to draw it in because of the multitude of fish. John 21:5-6
After the disciples had spent several years with Jesus and were a part of His ministry day in and day out for all of that time, it was a drastic change for them to wake up one day and realize that He was no longer with them in a physical sense — for Jesus had been crucified and buried.
To look back on that time and try to understand how it was for them at that moment can be a challenge for, after all, we know how the story ends. But life is not nearly so clear when you are living it as it is when you look back on it. The disciples felt not only a sense of loss with Jesus’ death on the cross but also a bit lost in the world. With Jesus gone, what were they supposed to do? What was the next step for them?
Peter did the most natural thing; he went fishing! This is what he was doing when Jesus first called him and how he grew up making a living. Fishing was the kind of life that Peter was used to. It’s easy to default back to what you are most comfortable with, and that’s what we find happening here with Peter and the other disciples: they went fishing.
There are some valuable lessons to be learned from this fishing expedition. For one thing, the Lord does not always keep you in your comfort zone. What might seem logical for a next step may not be what God has in store for you. Another lesson to be gleaned from this experience is that your own efforts without the Lord’s guidance will leave you with an empty boat. Even though these men were experienced fishermen, they had fished all night and caught nothing.
Finally, a reminder from Peter and company that the difference between an empty boat and a multitude of fish is not a matter of your ability or lack thereof, but rather your willingness to heed the voice of the Lord; to obey the Word of God even if it does not make sense to you or if you feel like you have already “tried that” and it got you nowhere. Obviously, casting the net on one side of the boat or the other should generally result in a similar catch so these lessons aren’t about how to cast a net or anything relating to the mechanics of fishing.
You could even say that these are more like life lessons than fishing lessons. Learning to trust God and His Word and learning to walk by faith. Not needing to have all of the answers and not trusting the answers you are so sure of more than you trust the Word of the Lord. Being willing to obey the Lord without question when your mind is full of questions. Having confidence in God’s love and care for you and an assurance that He will do you good all the days of your life.
Just another fishing trip. Or was it? Learn to put your trust in the Lord and His plan for your life rather than what seems right to you or to everyone around you. When you try things your way and come up empty, choose God’s way. He will give you a few fishing lessons!
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