Overlooking The Obvious

St. John 21:1-14

The disciples had a fruitless and frustrating night on the lake; they fished and caught nothing.  Jesus gives them a shout out from the beach: You have no fish, don’t you?  They have to admit personal failure.  Fish are in the lake but not in the boat.  Jesus told them to cast their net on the right side of the boat, the result is a miraculous and memorable catch.

Suppose the question is: Do you have peace with God?  Are you financially secure?  Are you personally fulfilled in life?  Do you have a happy marriage?  How would you answer?  Sometimes, although we gave our very best to a job, to a relationship, or to raising our children, we have to admit that we have so little to show for all we have done.  We do not reap the crop that we expected.

There are some failures in life that cannot be hidden.  Others know about our failures.  However, it is the honest answer and the humble acknowledgement of our needs that open the door for God to give directions that would reverse our situation and transform our experience.

Jesus directed them in verse 6 to cast their net on the right side of the boat.  They do not have to change location on the lake.  They do not need another boat or net, they do not need a fishing coach.  Everything they needed for the desired outcome was at their disposal.  They may stay where they are, obey Jesus’ word, and a miracle would be theirs.  Sometimes our entire perspective and outcome may change just by staying where we are and switching sides.  The doctrine of repentance teaches us to turn around and change directions.

The blessing you seek may not be far away; you ar surrounded by abundance.  You may not need new skills, tool, or talents.  You may not need another job, nor a chance of location.  What you need may be within your comfortable reach.  The Lord may be asking you to put your efforts in a different (the right) direction.  Sadly, they spent a night on the lake fishing in the wrong place.  Tragically, many spend an entire life doing the wrong thing, being on the wrong side of things, or serving the wrong cause.

These men are skilled seasoned fishing professionals.  They know about the ways and bounty of the lake, but it takes the intervention of the carpenter from Nazareth to give them a catch of fish.  Peter and the other disciples learnt a lesson that we all need to learn.  They decided to go fishing but fish is not taken, fish is given.  The God who stocks the lake can order fish into our nets.  We may go fishing but God must give fish.  We may cast our nets, only God can fill them.  He knows where the blessings are.  He can reverse our failures; he can give in an instant what a long night of toiling in our own strength could never produce.  Jesus said in John 15:5 apart from me you can do nothing.  The God who determines all things may speak a word of command into our lives and order a blessing for us that exceeds all expectations.

The next time you feel frustrated because every effort has failed and you are about to give up on something or someone, do not overlook the obvious, God is not far away.  The Lord intervens when our best efforts fail.  The God whom we think is beyond us is a very present help in time of trouble (Psalm 46:1.)  God is not out there somewhere in deep space.  God is right here.  It is here that we may find the Supernatural One who has a solution for life’s problems.

The one who is present has something to say to us in the trying times of life.  When the wine ran out at the wedding in Canaan of Galilee, Mary, the Lord’s mother told the servants; whatever he says to you, do it.  The prescription for a blessing has not changed.  The Lord can use us where we are as well as what we have to give us the desires of our heart.  Life is such that everything you need is somewhere at hand waiting for you to realize it and seize the moment.

Pastor Cutting