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 20:5-6
I’m not the best fisherman, but I do enjoy fishing. I especially enjoy fishing with experienced anglers, because I know I will catch fish with them! For me, it’s not much fun if you don’t catch anything but sunburn or mosquito bites. So, when I fish, I go with people I can learn from.
I remember my first time pier fishing at Cherry Grove Pier. I had no idea what I was doing. It was late July, it felt like everyone out there but me knew what they were doing. Everyone would cast with confidence, meanwhile, I was simply trying to cast and not hook an angry angler who’d been drinking since 5am. I was lost.
I was afraid to ask for help for about an hour, then I asked my friend, who knew exactly what he was doing, so that I could learn. No joke, ten minutes later, I caught a fish! I couldn’t get it off the hook, but I caught it!
One of my favorite Resurrection accounts is Jesus fishing with His disciples from a distance. A while back, the Lord spoke so clearly to me with this testimony. The disciples had been struggling to catch ant fish. They fish through the night and into the morning, and have nothing to show for it but must, morning breath, and empty nets. Rough morning for sure.
Jesus from a distance calls to them and asks them if they have any fish. For many years I read through this part of the narrative like there was nothing significant taking place, but follow me for a second, there is. When Jesus asked is they have caught anything, the disciples tell Jesus “no.” No. It was their honest confession that led to His revelation and amazing catch of fish.
Are you telling Jesus “yes” when you really should be answering Him “no?” For instance, when you read God’s word, and Holy Spirit convicts or counsels you, do you answer Him honestly? A doctor can’t help a patient who isn’t forthright with their condition. Jesus is the Father-sent doctor to this sick world. You can be honest with Him! It’s ok. The quicker we are honest in confession with our current condition to Jesus, the sooner we can get our prescription.
Whats the prescription? Move your nets. When we give Jesus an honest heart cry, He gives us a legitimate response to move forward in relational destiny with Him. Be honest with Jesus.
I shared my fishing story on the Pier with you, because it would have been easy for me to not disclose my condition of not knowing how to fish with my friend. I could have been embarrassed, humiliated, made fun of for confessing that. I also could have just stood there all day and been bored, and fish-less. Neither was the case. I was honest with my condition, and my friend showed me how to catch fish.
That’s our relationship with Jesus. We are often afraid to confess our “no,” whateever that may be, in fear of what will follow that confession. Jesus calls us friend. He is a good friend, closer than a brother. Confess your “no” to Him today, and He will tell you where to move your nets.
Nate Staton 