The Right Side

John 21:9 – “And he said unto them, Cast the net on the right side of the ship, and ye shall find. They cast therefore, and now they were not able to draw it for the multitude of fishes.”

We have all done it… tried and tried and when we thought it just could not be done or that our time was wasted and that nothing good would come of our struggle…Jesus shows up with the answer.  The disciples were seasoned and sea-worthy tradesmen who knew the best practices for being successful at fishing; but this venture provided new awareness for them and for us.  They had toiled all night and yet caught nothing.  I am sure they had gone to a favorite spot; used the best and sturdiest nets and even tried a couple of unlisted techniques to lure fish to them; but nothing worked.  As the dawn rose, they gave up the quest and decided to throw in the towel.

Jesus’ instructions were short, sweet and to the point – “cast and find”.  The disciples were wise enough to follow the instructions to the letter and it proved to be fruitful in a truly abundant way.  They drew in such a multitude of fish they could hardly haul them all to shore.  Jesus is our ever-present help in a time of trouble…in order to be in that position, it must mean that he is constantly with us.  In that way, Jesus sees and hears all that we go through.  He knows what we are up against and he knows when we are just about to lose heart and give up.  When life pushes us to the brink of exhaustion, Jesus will whisper to us simple instructions to make sure we are successful so that we do not give in.   Listen… you will be able to hear him guide you to the best place to complete your work.  Listen… you will be able to hear him provide all that you will need.  

Don’t focus on what you have already tried; don’t worry that your old ways don’t seem to be cutting it; don’t spend too much time questioning why things aren’t going well; just listen for Jesus’ instructions.  The next time you are feeling defeated – take a moment to be quiet enough to hear what Jesus has to say.  Don’t spend time grumbling, complaining, sulking or even lamenting –just be quiet and listen…Jesus is talking. 

Every day is a good day; it is up to us to make it a GREAT day.  Listen victoriously. Be blessed!  Dr. JoAnn