Encouraging the Encourager: Cast Your Net One More Time

“And let us not be weary in well doing:

for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.” Galatians 6:9

Are you tired?

Do you ever get discouraged?

Do you ever wonder if you are really doing any good?

It can be easy to get discouraged from time to time. Whether you are a teacher, a pastor, a missionary, a blogger, or any type of minister for God, there will be times when we will feel as if we are just not making a difference. I want to share something with you that God placed on my heart this week.

At our church we have been studying the book of John. In this book we have learned about the disciples and their time with Jesus, the betrayal of Jesus, His Crucifixion, and His resurrection. In this final chapter of John (chapter 21) we find the disciples a little lost, scared, and confused I believe. Peter, not knowing what else to do, decides to go fishing. He, along with the other disciples, fish all night and do not catch anything. As the morning approaches and it begins to get daylight the disciples see someone standing on the shore. It is Jesus and he asks the disciples if they have any fish. They tell him they do not have any fish and Jesus tells them something that He has told them before. He tells them to cast their nets on the other side of the boat. Do you know what happened then?

John 21:6: “And he said unto them, Cast the net on the right side of the ship, and ye shall find. They cast therefore, and now they were not able to draw it for the multitude of fishes.”

The disciples did as Jesus had told them to and the Bible tells us that there were so many fish in the net that they could not even get the net back in the boat. What a miracle.

Sometimes as Christians, as ministers, as bloggers, and as witnesses for Christ we find ourselves a little discouraged and a little lost. When we read this part of scripture Wednesday night I thought about all the times that we witness for the Lord. As bloggers, how many times do we write about God’s love and get no response? As pastors, how many times do we stand in the pulpit and preach only to see no one at the altar. As fellow Christians, how many times do we witness for Christ, only to be laughed at or tuned out. We feel just as these disciples did that day. We fish all night and come up with empty nets.

As I sat and listened to the story of the disciples Wednesday night, I felt God speak to my heart. I felt Him whisper,  “Cast your net again. Cast your net on the other side. Cast your net for me.”

Friends, I understand that as ministers for God sometimes we can get discouraged. I understand that we may get confused and even scared. I understand that sometimes we feel as if we have fished all night just to come up with empty nets. I believe in my heart that during these times, if we will listen closely, that we will hear God whisper to us, “Cast on the other side. Cast one more time. Cast your net for me.”

God has called us to be fishers of men, to share His love with the world. He has called us to lead others to Him. Yes, we will get tired. Yes, we will even get discouraged. But, I believe that God calls us to keep fishing no matter what.

I pray that this has brought you some encouragement today. We must remember that God does not tell us how many fish to catch, He simply tells us to fish. Let us, today, be faithful to the calling that God has placed on our lives and I believe that He will do the rest.

Advertisement