I was inspired by a post on fb tonight. Even felt it was written with me in mind however had the thought this was to good not to share which gave a me a good reason to post on here too.
I read this post after hosting the "writer" for dinner tonight, he's our friend and Pastor whose is transferring to a new congregation six hours away. We will miss him and what he brought to the pulpit on Sabbath mornings and your about to find out why, tonight I was on his fb page and came across this post with a photo of him standing next to a river holding a fishing pole with nothing on the end.
Hope you take the time to read what he shared..it's very encouraging.
Today I went fishing...
... and I have nothing to show for it. I see my friend on FB holding up a fish with a big smile on his face. And I'm happy for him...really. He is skilled and loves being out there in nature and enjoying the thrill of reeling it in. But the picture below shows me holding a pole...and no fish.
I did have the company of one of the youth from my church. He and my FB frien
d must have gone to the same fishing school: they know what they are doing, they know how to teach it, they have stories of how they caught fish. I have stories of catching river weeds. I must be in the wrong stream.
Have you ever felt like you have nothing to show for certain areas of your life?
You work hard, you pray hard, you relate well, you have grown so much, you nurture hope like a flower growing in parched ground, and yet, you have nothing to show for it.
You are not alone.
I think of the disciples after Jesus died and rose again. Peter and some of the disciples went back to what they knew best: fishing. They could work a boat like no other. Casting those heavy rope-nets into the water was something they had done for years with their fathers. What did they feel now that they were back where they started three and a half years ago. I wonder if they felt they had nothing to show for their sacrifice, for their rough life, for sustaining the jeers of religious leaders and fickle crowds. Having followed the man from Nazareth, I wonder if they had dreamed, hoped and worked for more than a front row seat of their beloved Lord hanging on a cross. I wonder if that thought crossed their mind as they fished all night with nothing to show for it but empty nets.
Then a man from shore shouts, "Children, have you any food?" They answered,"No." They are too tired to say much more. Too tired to explain. Too tired to engage in conversation. The man shouts back in reply as if oblivious to their efforts, "Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some." What does he know about fishing? These disciples were uber fisher meisters. They worked all night! And nothing to show for it. All hope of catching fish was lost.
But there was a man, the Son of Man.
He saw their heart's condition. He saw their efforts. He saw their disappointments. He saw their joys. He saw their struggles. And he saw their empty nets with nothing to show for their night of toil.
That is until you look from God's point of view.
Jesus saw how they had grown under His leadership.
He saw their faith leap when He calmed the storm.
He saw their compassion grow when each took leftovers home from a fish and dinner meal meant for 5000+ people.
He saw their excitement grow in preaching the gospel and casting out demons in His name.
He saw their faith stretched when a rich, young CEO walked away from eternal life because he owned too much.
It's not that they had nothing to show for their three and a half - year journey with Him, it's just that what they had to show couldn't be seen with human eyes because it was stored up in their hearts. Man looks on the outside, but God looks at the heart.
God knows what He has done there though we are not aware of it.
He knows our name and our journey and has moved in our lives like the wind moves through the trees; we see its effects but don't know from where or to where it's going.
You may be feeling like your net is empty. You have tried and tried and have nothing to show for it. But then Jesus comes along and stands on the shore of your soul.
He sees your tired fatigued arms of faith.
He sees your love is losing ground.
He sees your trust teeter on the cliff.
And in that moment He calls to you, "Child...cast your net on the other side."
In essence He is saying raise up your arms of faith to Him.
Let love hold its ground.
Stand on the tip toes of trust to draw nearer to Him.
And watch Him guide His blessings into your nets. At the right time, in the right way He will bring you your hearts desire. And with that He takes us to another level of faith-filled living by His power, in His name for His glory and for the earth's salvation.
So let's bring our empty nets to Him with great expectation and cast them out one more time. We will have nothing to show for it if we don't; but we will have stories bigger than a fisherman's tale...and it will be true.
Have you ever felt like you have nothing to show for certain areas of your life?
You work hard, you pray hard, you relate well, you have grown so much, you nurture hope like a flower growing in parched ground, and yet, you have nothing to show for it.
You are not alone.
I think of the disciples after Jesus died and rose again. Peter and some of the disciples went back to what they knew best: fishing. They could work a boat like no other. Casting those heavy rope-nets into the water was something they had done for years with their fathers. What did they feel now that they were back where they started three and a half years ago. I wonder if they felt they had nothing to show for their sacrifice, for their rough life, for sustaining the jeers of religious leaders and fickle crowds. Having followed the man from Nazareth, I wonder if they had dreamed, hoped and worked for more than a front row seat of their beloved Lord hanging on a cross. I wonder if that thought crossed their mind as they fished all night with nothing to show for it but empty nets.
Then a man from shore shouts, "Children, have you any food?" They answered,"No." They are too tired to say much more. Too tired to explain. Too tired to engage in conversation. The man shouts back in reply as if oblivious to their efforts, "Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some." What does he know about fishing? These disciples were uber fisher meisters. They worked all night! And nothing to show for it. All hope of catching fish was lost.
But there was a man, the Son of Man.
He saw their heart's condition. He saw their efforts. He saw their disappointments. He saw their joys. He saw their struggles. And he saw their empty nets with nothing to show for their night of toil.
That is until you look from God's point of view.
Jesus saw how they had grown under His leadership.
He saw their faith leap when He calmed the storm.
He saw their compassion grow when each took leftovers home from a fish and dinner meal meant for 5000+ people.
He saw their excitement grow in preaching the gospel and casting out demons in His name.
He saw their faith stretched when a rich, young CEO walked away from eternal life because he owned too much.
It's not that they had nothing to show for their three and a half - year journey with Him, it's just that what they had to show couldn't be seen with human eyes because it was stored up in their hearts. Man looks on the outside, but God looks at the heart.
God knows what He has done there though we are not aware of it.
He knows our name and our journey and has moved in our lives like the wind moves through the trees; we see its effects but don't know from where or to where it's going.
You may be feeling like your net is empty. You have tried and tried and have nothing to show for it. But then Jesus comes along and stands on the shore of your soul.
He sees your tired fatigued arms of faith.
He sees your love is losing ground.
He sees your trust teeter on the cliff.
And in that moment He calls to you, "Child...cast your net on the other side."
In essence He is saying raise up your arms of faith to Him.
Let love hold its ground.
Stand on the tip toes of trust to draw nearer to Him.
And watch Him guide His blessings into your nets. At the right time, in the right way He will bring you your hearts desire. And with that He takes us to another level of faith-filled living by His power, in His name for His glory and for the earth's salvation.
So let's bring our empty nets to Him with great expectation and cast them out one more time. We will have nothing to show for it if we don't; but we will have stories bigger than a fisherman's tale...and it will be true.
