Throw Out the Net Again

After this Jesus revealed himself again to the disciples by the Sea of Tiberias, and he revealed himself in this way. Simon Peter, Thomas (called the Twin), Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two others of his disciples were together. Simon Peter said to them, “I am going fishing.” They said to him, “We will go with you.” They went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing. Just as day was breaking, Jesus stood on the shore; yet the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to them, “Children, do you have any fish?” They answered him, “No.” He said to them, “Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some.” So they cast it, and now they were not able to haul it in, because of the quantity of fish. (John 21:1-6 ESV). If it weren’t so tragic, it would be amusing how so many people quit just shy of success. In today’s verses, did you notice that Jesus told the disciples to throw their nets in the same place they had been fishing all night and caught nothing? I believe He was trying to teach them two important lessons. First, they could not be successful without Him and His direction. And, second, they gave up just short of success. Les Brown, a noted inspirational speaker, tells the story of one of his friends, a salesman, who was in financial trouble because sales were down. Les asked him, "How many phone calls are you making a day?" His friend answered, "Twenty five." Les didn't hesitate with his advice. "Double them," he said. "Make fifty. Or seventy-five. Or one hundred." The salesman answered, "Aw, man. That’s too much." "Too much!" replied Les. "You tell me that you are behind on your bills and then you say it's too much. You know, one way to get back on your feet real quick is to miss two car payments. How can you say anything is too much when you have everything at stake?" The advice Les Brown gave his friend needs to be heard by people everywhere. It's amazing what we can do when we're "hungry" for success. Most people, who say, "I've tried," haven't scratched the surface of their potential. Wayne Gretzky said, “You miss 100 percent of the shots you never take.” Although there are those times when I am forced to cut my own firewood, I cannot say that I enjoy it! It is hard work. That’s especially true when I need to split some of it with an eight-pound maul! If you’ve ever done that, you know that it often doesn’t split at the first blow. In fact, sometimes the wood is just plain stubborn! At least it is right up to the point where you strike it “one more time” and you hear that unmistakable sound of the wood giving up and coming apart. Ulysses S. Grant was one of the most persistent leaders during the Civil War. He is quoted as saying, “One of my superstitions has always been when I started to go anywhere, or to do anything, never to turn back or to stop until the thing intended was accomplished.” That’s good advice! Why don’t you throw out you net again? And again if necessary? Trust in the strength of Jesus and don’t quit!