Casting the net into life's waters

Luke 5:1-7 NKJV

So it was, as the multitude pressed about Him to hear the word of God, that He stood by the Lake of Gennesaret, 2 and saw two boats standing by the lake; but the fishermen had gone from them and were washing their nets. 3 Then He got into one of the boats, which was Simon’s, and asked him to put out a little from the land. And He sat down and taught the multitudes from the boat.

4 When He had stopped speaking, He said to Simon, “Launch out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.”

5 But Simon answered and said to Him, “Master, we have toiled all night and caught nothing; nevertheless at Your word I will let down the net.” 6 And when they had done this, they caught a great number of fish, and their net was breaking. 7 So they signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both the boats, so that they began to sink.

     I love the interaction between Jesus and Simon. Simon, a master fisher, he knows the waters and that there had been no fish for the nets. He talks back to the master of all creation telling Him that there are no fishes to catch. I can imagine the doubt and perhaps some exasperation in his voice as he was telling this to Christ. I can imagine that Simon gave a heavy sigh looking Christ in the eye and saying, “nevertheless at Your Word I will let down the net."

      I can think of how often in my own life that I have cast my “net” out into this great lake of life only to have it come back empty. I have been “fishing the waters” of my life for a very long time. I know better than anyone does where there “fish” are or are not. Like Simon the master fisherman I am the master at knowing where the bountiful catches of “fish” are in my “life waters”. 

      I need not just to remember the lesson of Simon casting out His nets I need to act on it. The glorious thing about Simon aligning his will with Christ he had more than what he could take in by himself. He had enough to share with many others. I want to be obedient when Christ tells me to go back into the waters that I have already fished and came up empty. How glorious it will be to have enough to share the love of Christ with many more. When it happens, I know I will talk back, perhaps shake my head and roll my eyes, but I will answer, ”Nevertheless, at Your Word, I will let down my net.”

God my creator thank you for my life’s waters, the times they have been empty and the times they are bountiful. May I always respond with yes to your bidding of me to cast my net into all the waters of my life, especially when you call me to cast where I have fished in what I thought have been barren waters. In Jesus name I pray, Amen.