Let Down Your Nets

Introduction

I’ll start with a very honest, frank statement. I consider myself a child of God, yet sometimes I find it very hard to trust God. I Love God. I Believe in God, but I feel so uneasy about what the future holds for us all. I feel uneasy about the escalating tensions in our society: racial, political, gender, social status. Many conversations are “super” polarizing, and they make me feel uneasy. I worry about what if the wrong person gets elected…I worry about family members losing their jobs…I worry about becoming ill…I worry that our kids may never leave the house ever again!

And I’m sure you are experiencing similar thoughts as well. Perhaps you are single, and due to Covid, can’t get out and meet anyone. Will I be single the rest of my life? And if I do, will I marry the wrong person? Maybe I’ll married the right person, raise the right kids, but get stuck in the wrong job. I can’t quit, the kids need braces. And if they can’t get braces, they’ll marry the wrong person and the cycle continues!

We want to trust. But how do we trust in a God we can’t see?

This covid pandemic has led to many changes in our behaviors. We see our bank account balances dropping, we distance ourselves from others, and the tensions we feel continue to mount. We see family, friends, and total strangers professing pro or anti-masking/vaccinations. We witness groups of concerned citizens join together to raise public awareness about much neglected issues. We also see such events hi-jacked by those with ulterial motives, leaving us to ponder what the real issues are. We are constantly bombarded by news outlets and social media, citing various, often misguided logic for or against such things. I’m not politically driven, always had the “give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s.” Matthew 22:21 approach. And to witness such polarizing behavious deeply saddens me.

How do I trust God? When I did trust Him, he didn’t’ do what I asked! He could have…easily. But he didn’t.

It’s a fair question, it’s certainly not easy.

Can you trust God.

I’m going to offer to you today, two prayers to build back your trust in God.. Firstly let’s read from scripture: Luke 5:1-11

Reading

Luke 5:1–11 NIV

One day as Jesus was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret, the people were crowding around him and listening to the word of God. He saw at the water’s edge two boats, left there by the fishermen, who were washing their nets. He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little from shore. Then he sat down and taught the people from the boat. When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch.” Simon answered, “Master, we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets.” When they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break. So they signaled their partners in the other boat to come and help them, and they came and filled both boats so full that they began to sink. When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus’ knees and said, “Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!” For he and all his companions were astonished at the catch of fish they had taken, and so were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, Simon’s partners. Then Jesus said to Simon, “Don’t be afraid; from now on you will fish for people.” So they pulled their boats up on shore, left everything and followed him.

Help Me Obey Even When I Don’t Understand

I can almost hear Simon Peter talking to himself: “What you are asking me to do feels stupid!”

I’m sure we’ve done the same thing ourselves:

“do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” Matthew 6:34. Haven’t you been watching the news? Covid? Political unrest?

“Bless those who persecute you” Romans 12:14. You don’t know the people I deal with in my life!

“Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding” Proverbs 3:5 How can I pay the bills with wisdom like that

God, we want to trust you! But we can’t see you…we can’t hear you; we don’t see the results.

Lord, help me to obey you even when I don’t understand.

Simon Peter lives out this prayer when he let down the nets. Again, I’m sure he is thinking this doesn’t make any sense to him, but because Jesus says so. Remember this: we don’t have to understand completely to obey immediately.

Try this: Let go of your own understanding, your own wisdom, your own plans. Say this:

Cast my cares on you because you care for me

Provide all my needs according to your riches and glory

Working in all things for good.

Never leave me or forsake me

When I draw near to you, you will draw near to me.

You are close to brokenhearted. Save those crushed in spirit.

You are my refuge and my strength, stronghold time trouble

Because I trust you, I’m going to let down my nets

Help Me Realize I Am A Child of God

Just remember, that as we put our faith in God, as we become children of God, no matter what, we are saved. It is by the grace of God, that through our obedience, we can have eternal life in the wondrous everlasting presence of Jesus himself. Paul reminds us:

Now, brothers and sisters, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain. For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, and then to the Twelve. After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers and sisters at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, and last of all he appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born. For I am the least of the apostles and do not even deserve to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them —yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me. Whether, then, it is I or they, this is what we preach, and this is what you believed. 1 Corinthians 15:1-11

Help Me Surrender What I Cannot Control

For Simon Peter, those fishing nets represent provision, security, a future

Let go of your plans… your understanding… your idea of wisdom

You don’t always have the power to control, but you do always have the power to surrender.

Some of us continue to put our trust in…the economy, who holds political power, the amount of money in our bank accounts, the medical report. Let’s trust in a loving God who is in total control!

We trust that one day—Our God will right every wrong; Wipe out all evil, sin and sickness off the face of the earth; restore the whole earth to peace, harmony, security, joy; one day there will be no more crying, no more pain, no more heartache.

Consider this: When did the miracle happen for Simon Peter? It happened at the end of a tough, disappointing day. While they were putting away the boats at the end of a hard-disappointing shift.

Maybe you are at a place where you feel like giving up…to the point of throwing it all away. You’ve been praying and believing, but don’t see the results and thinking it might be time to just give up. You’ve been fighting for your marriage, but it feels like it’s not going to last. You’ve had a dream, and now you quit believing it’s possible. At the end of the day, when it’s almost time to give up…that is when the miracles happen! It’s not over! In God we trust. Let down your nets, and you may be surprised at what you catch!

Try this: Let go of the things you can’t control. Say this:

Father, thank You for being totally trustworthy. No matter how chaotic the world may seem around us, you are always in control. Always help us to trust in You, knowing that one day You will make all wrongs right. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Conclusion

We continue to live in uncertain times. When we stay connected through God’s word, be obedient to His plan for us…when we let go of the things we cannot control, uncertaintly in our lives can be minimized. It’s actually easy, Trust in God. When we obey, the outcome is God’s responsibility…obedience is ours. As children of God, by His grace, we will live eternally with Him.

Prayer

You, LORD, showed favor to your land; you restored the fortunes of Jacob. You forgave the iniquity of your people and covered all their sins. You set aside all your wrath and turned from your fierce anger. Restore us again, God our Savior, and put away your displeasure toward us. Will you be angry with us forever? Will you prolong your anger through all generations? Will you not revive us again, that your people may rejoice in you? Show us your unfailing love, LORD, and grant us your salvation. I will listen to what God the LORD says; he promises peace to his people, his faithful servants— but let them not turn to folly. Surely his salvation is near those who fear him, that his glory may dwell in our land. Love and faithfulness meet together; righteousness and peace kiss each other. Faithfulness springs forth from the earth, and righteousness looks down from heaven. The LORD will indeed give what is good, and our land will yield its harvest. Righteousness goes before him and prepares the way for his steps. Psalms 85