Casting Nets

Casting Nets.  I rarely paint anything for myself.  I too often paint for friends or clients  (www.scripturepainting.com).   But, this theme/ this story has been one I have been dwelling on for the last several weeks. ...so I have tried here and there...to paint. I think this painting, "Casting nets", sums up one of my overriding life issues..... trust.  Do I trust a carpenter...to tell me, a professional fisherman, how to fish?   Read Luke 5: 1-11 and you will see what I am talking about.

5 One day as Jesus was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret,^[a] with the people crowding around him and listening to the word of God, ² he saw at the water’s edge two boats, left there by the fishermen, who were washing their nets. ³ 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. ⁴ When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into deep water, and let down^[b] the nets for a catch.” ⁵ 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.”

⁶ When they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break. ⁷ 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. ⁸ When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus’ knees and said, “Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!” ⁹ For he and all his companions were astonished at the catch of fish they had taken, ¹⁰ 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 catch men.” ¹¹ So they pulled their boats up on shore, left everything and followed him.

So, why would a professional fisherman do what a carpenter commands him to do ...so that the fisherman can catch fish?  Because Simon  Peter  saw a difference in this "teacher".... he didn't understand  it in an earthly way... how putting the net of on the other side of the boat could matter...but out of respect ....he did it.   Then, he realized who this carpenter was... the Christ.   Simon Peter falls to his knees and says, "Go away, I am a sinful man".  Perfect!  When we encounter God...really see Him... we do NOT feel we are better than others.  Our awareness of our own sins and God's holiness gives us a large dose of humility and a large dose of thankfulness! Thankfulness for His love... His mercy... and His grace.  This enables us to give that mercy, grace, and love to others.   

I don't know about you... but God must think I am really, really hard headed...because He keeps putting me in circumstances where I have little.... to no control.  This week John-Michael went to Dr. Van Meter, a pediatric endocrinologist,  who ordered a bone scan on John-Michael's hand to determine his bone age (to see if he is growing correctly).  He called me Tuesday evening to tell me my almost 9 year old son ..has the bone age of a 5 year old.   My heart sunk.    The only current treatment is growth hormone shots.  However, we know that NF tumors grow the most during puberty   when the largest amounts of growth hormone is being dumped into his body.   So, what do we do?  It really bugs John-Michael to be told by other children  that he isn't really 8 1/2 .  They are certain he is 6.             It bugs him when adults guess he is 6....or 5!!!    For now,  we wait.   We go back in  March to make a decision.  

Trust!  My default... or my sin nature..says God isn't really good.  A lie.  I know it is a lie... but my emotions can park there for a few minutes..if not hours ..until I take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ.  (We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. 2 Corinthians 10:5 )   I have to stay grounded in His word so that I don't allow anything to set itself up against the knowledge of God.   I have to remember that He loves us . (Romans 8:38-39  For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.)

But...sometimes this is harder to remember than others times...  God often puts me in situations where it seems like there is no answer. I have tried everything. I thought  I knew what needed to be done and what He wanted me to do. It worked before, so I think I already know how to do it and what to do.   Sometimes  I feel that God is telling me to do something that  seems foolish or  counter intuitive  ....  I've  been fishing on the left side and now HE think fishing on the right side of the boat will make a difference!?!?!?!  I have been working all night  trying to fix the problem with MY resources...MY intellect... MY Ability to persevere ....and   now Christ tells me that  one more cast is going to change anything?   So, do I do it?  

Do I cast the net?

Why does God do this?   Couldn't Jesus have made the fish swim into the net while I was  fishing on the left side of the boat? Why does God want me to go to the bother of take the nets out and put them in on the other side? Why wouldn't Jesus have made the fish jump into the boat?  (Why not make it easy on me?)   That would have been AWESOME!  I would have SEEN it was Christ. However, it wouldn't have involved  my obedience to Him....my trust in action. Jesus did not do it all for them. He tested their obedience so that they could learn that blessings often follow obedience. I have learned obedience, even when what He is asking me to do seems ridiculous to me at the time.  The answer?  Humility...a good dose of "You are not smarter than God, Rachel Pate".   .

I can’t rebel against God and expect success or blessings.

I think this story's 2nd point .. is humility. (1st being trust... do what HE says) The disciples were professional fishermen. They knew all about fishing, so they had to be humble enough to do what Jesus said rather than trusting what they had personally learned about fishing from their experiences of hours and hours of fishing. Remember, it is what their fathers and grandfathers before them had learned and taught them. What Jesus was asking them to do did not seem that different from what they had been doing all night. It was not so much something different as more of the same. But when it comes to following God, I can’t give up. And I can’t always rely on my knowledge and training. Jesus wants me to have a teachable spirit. I don't want to be a person whom you simply can’t tell anything, because I think I already know it all. I want to have humility and a willing spirit. I want to always be willing to listen to Jesus and do what He says. 

 I have noted that God often likes to be "A God of the Last minute".   You can read my post about that here.  http://inhonoroftheking.blogspot.com/2011/03/is-god-god-of-last-minute.html    God often lets me come to the end of my earthly resources so I have to rely on Him...fully.   So is He just mean?  No. He wants to see our faith increase.  Often, that is a great way to do it.  He enjoys seeing the faith His children have in Him and rewarding those who honestly seek Him and want to have their faith increased. Simon Peter had been fishing all evening.  He knew the best fishing holes and knew how to use his tackle. He was an expert at his trade, but he still had no fish. Simon Peter was at the end of what he could earthly do. That’s when God shows up.    Faith grows...it had to be HIM... the Christ. Nothing that Simon Peter did caused such a catch.  The great catch caused Simon to see his sin and see his savior. 

It was good for Peter to realize that he could fail like everyone else, because that is when he really began to understand and see his weakness, see and understand the forgiveness of God and  see and understand  the power of a new life. It was in his brokenness that he experienced Jesus in a new way.

When the disciples came to the end of their resources, that is when they had a huge catch — such a large catch  that they could hardly get the net to shore. When I see myself for the way I am and see HIM for who HE is.... then, amazing things can happen...for His glory..and my good.

I love that this lesson shows that we need not be perfect to come to God; But  we need to trust God and let Him do His work in transforming our lives to the likeness of Christ. Simon Peter 's humility and awareness of his sin do not disqualify him from God's service; it seems to me like they are the prerequisite for service.   (So why do we want to hide our sinful selves from other believers...why won't we tell each other...here are my real struggles)...     Simon's response is similar to  Isaiah's and Jeremiah's, who also  fell in humility when they caught a peek of God's presence (Isaiah 6: 5; Jer 1:1-10). Oh, I have learned that God doesn't call those who think they can help God do His work.  God does not  want believers who think they are doing God a favor.   So, I constantly remind myself of His goodness and His love... I constantly fight the battle to not rely in me..and my powers (are there any..anyway?) :)    .. I fight to remember the Humility of Christ (Philippians 2).     And ..I am thankful for Simon Peter who trusted in Christ..and did the "silly" thing of casting the net on the other side.  A great reminder for this woman.