And He said to them, “Cast the net on the right-hand side of the boat and you will find a catch.” So they cast, and then they were not able to haul it in because of the great number of fish. (John 21:6, NASB)
When it’s time to choose a teacher to help you with your game, I can think of two criteria that stand out above the rest. You want someone who knows what they are doing and who has a great track record.
I once took a golf lesson from one of the greats in the game, Harvey Pennick. I will never forget what he told me. He basically told me to tee the ball higher and take dead aim. Simple, yet profound.
Now here’s a different scenario: How are you doing concerning taking instruction from your wife while you are driving? It is harder to take instruction that is not asked for!
In John 21, the disciples had fished all night and caught nothing. Then Jesus, whom they did not recognize at the time for this was after the resurrection, said from the shore, “Cast your nets on the right-hand side of the boat.”
What is he talking about? The right-hand side of the boat? Now I am no expert fisherman, but I do know enough to know that if they had fished all night and caught nothing, it seems unlikely that all the fish had just congregated on the right side of the boat. Why not the left? Why now at the worst time to fish, with the morning sun was heating up the water?
But they did what he said, not even knowing it was Jesus. That amazes me. I would have lost interest in this conversation right after he said, “Hey boys, y’all caught anything?” My few choice words might have reflected my frustration at not catching anything. “If you are so smart, you cast your net on the other side, big fella. I’m tired from catching nothing all night, and I am going to take a nap.”
But the wonderful truth of this story is that they did what he said, making the rest of the story a teachable moment for Peter and for all of us.
The result was that they were not able to haul in the catch because there were so many fish. Amazing! From nothing to an overabundance simply by doing what Jesus said. Sometimes God answers our prayers with, “Yes, and here is a lot more.”
Peter was in the boat that morning and this was indeed a teachable moment for him. Just three years before he had left his nets and followed Jesus after a fishing trip (see Luke 5:1-11). That trip started with the same doubt: “Simon answered and said, ‘Master, we worked hard all night and caught nothing, but I will do as You say and let down the nets’ (Luke 5:5).
And so the rest of the story…
When they got to shore, Jesus told them to put some of the fish they had caught with his that were already cooking over a charcoal fire on the beach. He let them use some of their fish to complete the meal. The teachable moment for me is this: how great that the Creator of the universe allows me to partner with him if I will only do what he says. My life is then lived in response to this act of kindness and grace and is filled with abundance. Thank you, Lord Jesus! I am listening.
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Randy Wolff
November 5, 2012
Copyright 2012 Links Players International
The Links Daily Devotional appears Monday-Friday at www.linksplayers.com.