Fishing lessons (5)

Lesson five: Stand on the promises of God. In their previous fishing attempt, the disciples were trusting in their own experience and ability. But this time they were trusting in Christ’s promise: “Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch” (v. 4 NIV). Now, Jesus didn’t specifically say, “Peter, if you go fishing with Me, I promise you a big catch.” He didn’t need to say it because Peter realized that when Christ told him to go fishing and then got into his boat and then told him exactly where to put down the net, there was no way it was going to come up empty! Peter expected God to act. He expected Him to keep His promise. When you get God’s presence in your boat, God’s plan in your head, and God’s promises in your heart, you can’t fail. Maybe you’re saying, “That sounds great, but you don’t know my circumstances. Right now I’m defeated by the problems I’m experiencing. I’m having some hard times.” If you’re feeling beaten by your circumstances, do this: read your Bible, find a specific promise from God, and start claiming it. Start expecting God to act, and you’ll find that His promise will inject new hope into your situation. Just because you haven’t solved your problem doesn’t mean the solution doesn’t exist. With God, success often begins at the point of failure. It’s after you’ve “fished all night and caught nothing” that He steps in. So the word for you today is this—don’t give up! Try again. This time do it with Jesus in your boat, and He will make all the difference.nnnSunday August 15