Fishing

Jesus Went Fishing!

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Catch Anything – Part Three

When they got out on land, they saw a charcoal fire in place, with fish laid out on it, and bread. Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish that you have just caught.” John 21:9-10

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People who have read this story often focus on the fact that the disciples were fishing when they should have been doing something more spiritual. But Jesus also went fishing that night. The difference was that He not only caught fish, but he filleted them and had them baking on the fire by the time Peter and his friends showed up in the morning!  In fact, Jesus never told the disciples that they shouldn’t have been out in the boat. Instead He welcomed them in a way that they would remember for the rest of their lives. He wanted them to know that their success or failure had nothing to do with their own efforts. His love was not just about being “spiritual” but about being willing to fish and knead bread dough and make breakfast for others. His love was about being willing to meet them in the morning in a most miraculous way.

Before this day is past pause to ask if there isn’t someone who needs us to wait through the night. Maybe God will bring a person you haven’t thought of for a while to mind to whom you can give a simple gift. Not even filet mignon at the finest restaurant will taste half as good as filet of fish in the morning after a night filled with struggles.

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God knows where we have been. He has stayed up fishing for us all through the night. What a blessing it will be when we pull our boats to shore and sit down with Jesus at the dawning of that eternal day!

Catch Anything? Part 2

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Part Two – The Other Side of the Boat

Then he said, “Throw out your net on the right-hand side of the boat, and you’ll get some!” So they did, and they couldn’t haul in the net because there were so many fish in it.  John 21:6 ESV

When I was a teenager om Summer nights some of us would dive into the river from a bridge on a dare.  Now we had to be careful which side of the bridge to dive from because one side had deep water  and the other did not. It was a terrifying 20 feet to the water but the thrill of surviving the plunge and swimming to the shore was worth it!

As the disciples discovered; just five minutes of fishing with Jesus was better than an entire night without Him! He knew where and when to throw the nets. When we invite Him along on our fishing trip we need to be prepared to cast our nets at unexpected times and places. The momentary fear we will feel when we take the plunge of obedience to share His message will be drowned out by our shouts of joy. Our long night of failure will be ended by a morning of  nets bursting with fish and our hearts filled with praise for Him!

fish net on gray surface

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Catch Anything? Part One

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At dawn Jesus was standing on the beach, but the disciples couldn’t see who he was.He called out, “Fellows, have you caught any fish?” “No,” they replied. John 21:4-5 NLT

Now the joke in my family is that I could save a lot of time in my fishing if I just tossed the worms in the water and then took my grand-kids out for ice cream! But Jesus’ disciples were not like me. They had been fishing the Sea of Galilee since they were children. They knew how deep the water was, where the fish lived and what to use for bait. But despite their professionalism and hard work they couldn’t catch a minnow!

Does that sound a little bit like our best efforts to reach people for Jesus? No matter how hard we try or what method we use we will continue to fail unless we find out how Jesus wants us to fish. 1552053155928_image.jpg

The good news is that Jesus gives free fishing lessons. Our first assignment is to follow Him. The mistake that Peter, James and John made was that they went fishing without Jesus. Fishing without Jesus means empty nets and sore backs.

Before we launch out today determine to listen and watch for what Jesus wants us to do. As we stick close to His side we will be amazed to learn that He knows where the fish are. He knows what side of the boat to cast the net on and He will wait all through the night for us to come home to Him!