Do you know where the fish are?

Good morning! I hope you had a blessed weekend and are refreshed as you enter into this new week.

This past Friday I had the privilege of joining a group of ministers and lay leaders for a deep sea fishing charter in the Gulf of Mexico. After our 3 hour journey on the water we were finally at our destination about 30 miles out from the coast line. We dropped our lines and….nothing! Twenty-six men went from high expectation to shear boredom. We couldn’t even buy a nibble.

Fortunately for us, we were under the watch care of a veteran sea captain. Our captain knew where to find the fish and so he wasted no time in retrieving the anchor and we set out for a new location. The captain maneuvered the boat into position and told us to drop our lines.

Now let me stop here for a moment and put some application to this story. All of us have had unproductive days of fishing. We’ve been dating for years and haven’t found the “right one.” We’ve been at the company for years and never received that promotion. We’ve been courting that potential client and time after time we hear the word “no.” Unproductive fishing…we’ve all been there. So when we are presented with the opportunity to cast our nets again we have a choice. We can dwell on the past lack of productivity and just quit or we can cast our nets one more time, knowing that a bountiful catch is out there.

Simon Peter’s encounter with Jesus rings true to this thought:

Luke 5:4-7 (NLT)

When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, "Now go out where it is deeper and let down your nets, and you will catch many fish."

[5] "Master," Simon replied, "we worked hard all last night and didn't catch a thing. But if you say so, we'll try again." [6] And this time their nets were so full they began to tear! [7] A shout for help brought their partners in the other boat, and soon both boats were filled with fish and on the verge of sinking.

For Simon Peter this issue was trust. Do I trust that this Jesus knows what He’s talking about? Am I willing to risk my pride for the sake of a bountiful harvest? These are the kinds of questions we all face. Can we trust God’s leadership enough to cast the nets again even when the previous attempts have been unfruitful?

This past Friday, we all trusted our captain. Within a matter of seconds every man had a fish on the line. Over the course of the next 3 hours, all 26 of us motley thrill seekers would reel in over 300 pounds of fish. Our trip was so productive that we had hit our limits almost an hour before our fishing time was scheduled to end.

The productivity of the trip came down to these key truths:

• Our guide knew the waters, he had been here many times before
• Our guide could see what was beneath the surface
• We simply had to follow his instructions, trusting that they were reliable

Today you may be asking yourself: “Is it worth casting the net one more time?” I want to challenge you to keep throwing the net overboard. Until God shows you a different course or direction, keep trusting in the outcome. Your time is coming…even if you don’t see it from your current vantage point.

Until next Monday, may God’s richest blessings be yours this week.

Carl