Nets Be Filled

"'Put out into the deep and let down your nets for the catch.' And Simon answered, 'Master, we toiled all night and took nothing! But at your word I will let down the nets.' And when they had done this, they enclosed a large number of fish, and their nets were breaking." -Luke 5:4-6 

 If you've ever been trying to share Jesus with someone, this passage most likely hits home at some level. Three simple things I love about this interaction Jesus has with Simon in Luke 5....

#1.) Simon kinda dares to try validate his prior efforts to Jesus. I want to say "Come on Simon..really?" but I know I'm guilty of this all too often. We see all over scripture encouragement like in Galatians 6:9  "and let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up," yet still, once we've felt as though we've exhausted our own wisdom and resources, we start to object to the Lord's calling us to witness on the basis of having already "toiled." Until we've toiled alongside of Jesus, we've toiled in vain.
#2.) And that brings me to my second thought. It's so beautiful and simple- Simon caught nothing until Jesus came on the scene. Maybe we need to start inviting the Master Fisherman on our ventures at sea.
#3.) The nets were breaking. I don't know who everyone thinks developed the saying "go big or go home," but I bet it was Jesus. He doesn't act on a small scale nor is he a minimalist. Bringing people back to life, healing the blind, casting out demons, turning water to wine, feeding the five thousand, raising from the dead, the list goes on and on.

Brothers and sisters, be encouraged, if you feel the fish aren't biting, we serve the one and only God who fills nets. If you've never experienced empty nets, maybe it's time to start fishing and praying "nets be filled" type prayers.