CATCHING NOTHING

“... that night they caught nothing.” - John 21:3

There is nothing more frustrating for a fisherman than to spend hours fishing and never catching a fish. Some fishermen are known for embellishing the truth when it comes to their fishing expeditions. They come back with these long yarns about the size of fish they caught or dramatic stories of the fish that got away. Yet John 21:3 records that the disciples went fishing and “that night they caught nothing.” The late Vance Havner said that this was one fishing story he believed!

Keep in mind that most of the disciples on board the ship that night were professional fishermen. They fished for a living. They weren't amateurs who simply dabbled in the sport. These were men who had years of experience at fishing. Yet this night, they had empty nets.

Have you ever felt that way about life? Perhaps you feel that way now. Maybe you are discouraged because things aren't going well with your job or career. It could be that you are disheartened as you see your plans and dreams crumble around you. Perhaps you're in ministry and you feel that you are seeing little or no fruit after years of hard labor. It may very well be that you are very depressed as you look at your life and feel that nothing good has come from your years of hard work. If so, there is much to learn from the disciple's awful night of fishing.

One thing we learn about their frustrating night is that they were not in the will of God. You see, several of them had left their nets to follow Jesus. Now that Jesus had died, they went back to fishing. Does this sound familiar? It could be that you are not doing what you know you should be doing. These men were disciples of Jesus. He had called them to fish for men, not casting a net in the sea. One reason that we have empty nets is because we are casting our nets for all the wrong things.

Secondly, they failed miserably because they were fishing in their own effort. When they heeded the words of Jesus, things changed drastically. Another reason that we may be having empty nets is because we are laboring in our own strength. In John 15:5, Jesus said, “Without me ye can do nothing.” It is an exercise in futility for a follower of Jesus to do things apart from the Lord's blessing and help. We need to seek the Lord, respect His Word, and obey His commands. When we trust God and obey His Word, we will find the nets getting full.

Next, they failed because they refused to learn from the past. In Luke chapter 5, Simon Peter met Jesus as he was finishing a night of fishing. Simon Peter had fished all night and had caught nothing. As Peter expressed his frustrations, Jesus told him to launch out into the deep and cast his net. When he obeyed the Lord, his nets were full. Now, some time later, Peter is at it again. He has fished without the Lord's help and ended up with empty nets. He failed to learn from his past experience. It is truly a foolish thing to repeat failed procedures and expect positive results. We are in the schoolroom of life and the Lord is our teacher. Some of us need to finally learn the lessons He's been trying to teach us.

Also, the disciples found that the Word of the Lord makes a difference. Jesus spoke the word, “Cast the net on the right side of the ship, and ye shall find.” After a long night of futile fishing, it didn't make sense to simply cast the net on the right side of the ship. Yet a word from God makes all the difference in the world. When the disciples obeyed the word of the Lord and cast their net on the right side of the ship, they caught so much fish that their net was overwhelmed with fish. Many people are catching nothing in their nets and yet their Bibles continue to collect dust. No wonder their nets are empty.

Finally, when their net was full, they recognized that it was the Lord who was behind their great catch. How many of us have seen God do miracles … and then failed to give Him proper praise? When your nets are full, do you give God the glory, or do you simply brag about your fishing skills? If you fail to give God the praise for past victories, don't be surprised if your victories get few and far between.

What should you do when you have empty nets? Certainly there may be a myriad of answers to this question because every person's situation may be different. I think there are some basic things that we should do when we have empty nets. First of all, seek the Lord. Start your day in God's Word. There is great insight in His Word. Every morning, get on your knees and ask Him for help and wisdom. Secondly, learn from the past and learn from others. More than likely, you've had empty nets before. What lessons did you learn from these experiences? Also, others have had seasons when their nets were empty. What can you learn from their experiences? Third, keep your nets in the water. You'll never catch fish when your nets are in the boat. Keep the nets in the sea. In other words, keep living for Jesus and obeying His Word. Finally, give God all the praise when your nets get full again. He deserves all the credit.

Never be content with empty nets. Seek God. Trust Him. Obey His Word. Let God fill your nets once again!