Is It Time to Recast Your Nets?

Have you ever tried to reach a goal and always seem to come up empty? Maybe it was a goal to lose weight and despite following the diet plan to the letter, you just didn't see the scale move. Maybe it was to reach a milestone in your career and you are having trouble getting traction. Or maybe you are unemployed and just can't seem to get interviews scheduled. Maybe, moms, it's the frustrating task of potty training that last child. Whatever it may be, perhaps it's time to recast your nets.

Back in the time of Jesus, two fishermen were equally frustrated. They had fished all day and came up empty handed. Along comes Jesus teaching to crowds of people and seeking a little distance from the crowd. He asks the fisherman to take him out on the water and continues to preach. 

After preaching, he turns to Simon and tells him to give it another try go back out there and recast your nets. Now, Simon and the fishermen were probably like us, tired from the day's work and a little defeated that despite the hard work, they had come up empty handed. Perhaps they even felt like giving up. 

But when the preacher asked, they didn't come up with a lot of excuses. "I'm too tired" or "It's been a long day and I've already cleaned my nets." Naturally, they were skeptical, but something about Jesus gave them enough confidence to go back out to the deep waters and recast their nets. They obeyed and the results were overflowing!

Perhaps Jesus is asking you to go back in the deep waters and try again today. If you are following God's will, you can be assured your efforts are not in vain. Resilience is a common trait of people of faith as we learn to trust God that all things, and all of our efforts in faith, work out for good. So go out there and get back in your boats! Recast your nets and praise God for the catch.

"Now it happened that, when the crowds pressed toward him, so that they might hear the word of God, he was standing beside the lake of Genesaret. And he saw two boats standing beside the lake. But the fishermen had climbed down, and they were washing their nets. And so, climbing into one of the boats, which belonged to Simon, he asked him to draw back a little from the land. And sitting down, he taught the crowds from the boat. Then, when he had ceased speaking, he said to Simon, Lead us into deep water, and release your nets for a catch. And in response, Simon said to him: Teacher, working throughout the night, we caught nothing. But on your word, I will release the net. And when they had done this, they enclosed such a copious multitude of fish that their net was rupturing. And they signaled to their associates, who were in the other boat, so that they would come and help them. And they came and filled both boats, so that they were nearly submerged. But when Simon Peter had seen this, he fell down at the knees of Jesus, saying, Depart from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man." Luke 5:1-8 CPDV See it at YouVersion.com: http://bible.com/42/luk.5.1.cpdv