Scripture:
“Simon Peter announced, ‘I’m going fishing.’ The rest of them replied, ‘We’re going with you.’ They went out and got in the boat. They caught nothing that night. When the sun came up, Jesus was standing on the beach, but they didn’t recognize him. Jesus spoke to them: ‘Good morning! Did you catch anything for breakfast?’ They answered, ‘No.’ He said, ‘Throw the net off the right side of the boat and see what happens.’ They did what he said. All of a sudden there were so many fish in it, they weren’t strong enough to pull it in. Then the disciple Jesus loved said to Peter, ‘It’s the Master’!” John 21:3-7 (MSG)
Perspective:
You go to church and hear the testimonies of what God is doing for other people. A marriage is reconciled; a person is healed from cancer. You celebrate God’s victory in their life. As testimonies are used to build your faith, it can still be discouraging when you can’t see God coming through for you. Yet, as you trust God, you might only be moments away from your own breakthrough.
Peter was discouraged; Jesus was no longer with the disciples everyday, and Peter’s decided to go back to fishing. As they were in the boat all night, the sea knocked the boat back and forth, but still they caught no fish. When a “stranger” showed up on the beach, he told them to throw out the net one more time. Having been a professional fisherman, Peter thought logically about this instruction. He knew all about how to catch fish. Yet, instead of being offended and yelling excuses back to shore, the disciples threw the net over the side of the boat one more time. They were one moment away from experiencing their miracle. All the discouragement from the unsuccessful night of fishing culminated in that moment. Would they take the step of faith one more time, even though they had thrown the net into the sea over and over again that night? Many times, our challenges that we face can bring discouragement. Maybe you have been waiting for that promotion for years or for your family to be reconciled. It can be discouraging and tempting to give up. Yet, you might be one moment or one prayer away from seeing God show up in your situation. Don’t let discouragement get the best of you. Like the disciples, throw your net over the side of the boat one more time and trust God with the outcome.
Scripture taken from THE MESSAGE. Copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group.