Luke 5:4-5 And when he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.” And Simon answered, “Master, we toiled all night and took nothing! But at your word I will let down the nets.”
I stared at the blank computer screen, ready to write, but not one cohesive thought came to mind. As I stood up and started to pace around the cabin, my attention was drawn to some photos on the wall. Some sentences started formulating in my mind, but that’s about it. They were leading nowhere…or so I thought. Minutes ticked by and the screen remained blank.
Finally, I felt the nudge to just start typing the sentences I’d thought of. I initially resisted because it seemed like a waste of time. Plus, I was exhausted from thinking. But a funny thing happened as I began to write. One thought after another started flowing through my mind. Before I knew it, I had written a 400-word devotional!
It made me think of Simon Peter when Jesus told him to cast his nets on the other side.
After being up all-night fishing and catching nothing, Peter must have felt discouraged. All he had to show from trying hour after long hour were empty nets. Then Jesus tells him to go out again, start over. Although he must have thought it a fool’s errand, he had enough respect for Jesus to do what he said. And when he cast out his nets, he caught so many fish, it almost sank the boat!
Sometimes following what Jesus tells us to do doesn’t make sense. But then, neither do miracles.
I don’t know about you, but I can easily get down when my efforts seem futile. Maybe some of you feel like you’ve been staring at empty nets your whole life. I get it. But I want to encourage you not to give up. Don’t let your discouragement immobilize you. Listen for Jesus’ voice. And when he nudges you, even if you think you’re going to come up empty again, do what he tells you to do. Don’t stop believing in the power of his word. You might miss a miracle if you don’t try again.