Every now and then I need to pause, take stock of my life, and count my blessings.
Today was one of those day. Then, the Lord stamped His approval during my Bible reading.
“When He (Jesus) 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.'” (Luke 5:4-5 NIV)
They obeyed the Lord, cast out their nets, and “caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break.” (vs. 6). Peter and his friends were blessed. They obeyed Jesus and pulled in a large number of fish, nearly swamping the boats with the abundance.
I love that story. It is a story of Jesus’ love and compassion and of the disciples’ faith and obedience. It provides a number of lessons for us. My favorite is noting that Jesus encourages us to let down our nets into His abundance of blessings, too. Paul wrote the following verse to the Christians in Philippi, but I believe it applies to us as well: “And my God will meet all your needs according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:19 NIV).
He showers us with a love far greater than we can ever imagine. He fills our daily needs and shares the beauty and delights of nature with us. When we trust in Him, He gives us peace in the midst of our trials and the strength to bear them. When we have more questions than answers, He gives us the wisdom to sort things out, teaches us what is best for us, and directs us in the way we should go.
He provides a refuge when we are in distress and creates a stronghold in times of trouble. He comforts us in sorrow. He gives us confidence when we are afraid, encourages us when we are discouraged and rejoices with us when things are going well. When we laugh, He laughs with us. When we cry, He cries with us.
The Psalmist says “Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart.” (Psalms 37:4 NIV)
All these blessing, and many more, fill our nets to overflowing. Yet, I haven’t mentioned His greatest blessing. He gave His own life on the cross, taking our sins on Himself so we could be forgiven of our sins and spend eternity with Him. He conquered death, now only for Himself, but for us, too. He rose from the dead, and now dwells in eternal glory with the Father, and He is waiting for us to join Him in Heaven. When we do, He will place a glorious crown of righteousness on our heads. (See 2 Timothy 4:8). Take a moment to think about that. Doesn’t your heart swell with love for Him? Mine does.
Is your net overflowing with the abundance of Christ’s blessing? I hope so. If not, why not accept Him as your Savior right now. Repent of your sins, ask Him to come into your life and be your Savior. Then dip your net into the sea of His blessings. You will be glad you did.
By Donna J. Howard