"SHARING HOPE THROUGH SCRIPTURE ABOUT MAKING NO PROGRESS"
John 20:5 He called out, “Friends, have you caught any fish?” “No,” they replied.
John 20:6 Then he said, “Throw out your net on the right-hand side of the boat, and you’ll get plenty of fish!” So they did, and they couldn’t draw in the net because there were so many fish in it.
Some explanatory thoughts, application, and a prayer:
1. Please notice what Jesus said, when He called out to the disciples, actually, please look at how He addressed them.
"Friends" Isn't that encouraging, and beautiful. To hear God Himself call His disciples "Friends" The word friends here, means just what you think it means. To be friendly to one, to wish him well. An associate, a companion. Jesus loved the disciples and called them friends earlier in John 15:15 “No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you.
2. Jesus asked them a question. "Have you caught any fish? They had been fishing all night long. Jesus knew what their answer was going to be, but He was about to show them a miracle if you will, thus, He asked them this question. They answered "No"
They had worked and worked, and worked at a trade that they were experts in. Here they had fished all night, but, this was a night of no progress.
3. The next thing Jesus did, was to tell them to simply cast their nets on the other side of the boat. On the right hand side, and then He told them, "You'll get plenty of fish" Jesus was directing these men who had made no progress to do something very simple, and He told them they would make progress, in fact, He told them they would catch alot of fish. And, they did.
They did what the Lord told them, and they made progress. In fact, they made so much progress that the many fish, were breaking their nets. They had experienced just what the Lord told them would happen.
4. You may not be a fisherman, very probably, no one reading this is a fisherman. But, those who are reading this devotional may be just like the fisherman. You have been working, and working, and working and getting nothing for your work. You may be tired, You may be discouraged, and You may be ready to give up. Well, You are not the first ones, just as we have seen from this story.
5. God loves You, You are His friend. He knows what is going on in your life, and He has direction for you. He has not abandoned you, and He will speak to you, and guide you as to what to do. These are the kinds of things that God does for and in the lives of His children. He is faithful, He follows through, and You can count on Him. Here are some verses that I pray will be an encouragement to You.
6. Here are some verses that I pray will be an encouragement to You.
Ps 27:14* Wait on the LORD; Be of good courage, And He shall strengthen your heart; Wait, I say, on the LORD!
Ps 31:24* Be of good courage, And He shall strengthen your heart, All you who hope in the LORD.
Isa 40:31 But those who wait on the LORD Shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint.
Ps 32:8* I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will guide you with My eye.
Isa 58:11 The LORD will guide you continually, And satisfy your soul in drought, And strengthen your bones; You shall be like a watered garden, And like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail.
Joh 16:13 “However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come.
A prayer:
Father, thank You that You know us, You know what we have need of before we even ask. Thank You that we can trust in You, and that You care about us. You have never promised that we would not have trouble, but, You have promised that You would be with us in those times, and that we can look to You for help and strength. We do that today. We pray for our family, our friends, and those we work with who are in desperate straits, and in need of Your help. In Jesus name, amen.
Pastor Bob Grenier
Calvary Chapel Visalia.
