Be Prepared in All Times to Witness
John 21:5-6 - Jesus spoke to them: "Good morning! Did you catch anything for breakfast?" They answered, "No." He said, "Throw the net off the right side of the boat and see what happens." They did what he said. All of a sudden there were so many fish in it, they weren't strong enough to pull it in.
We recently spent a week on the Gulf coast of Florida, where each night, we were blessed to watch the sun set over the Gulf of Mexico.
Our morning also found us walking the beach. On this particular morning, I found myself standing on a pier watching two men in boat. From a distance, they appeared to be throwing something into the water and then pulling it back out. As I got closer to them, I could tell that they were throwing a net over the side of the boat. Again it came out empty.
As curiosity got the better of me, I inquired as to what they were doing. The one gentleman replied that they were trying to get bait in their net so that they could use the bait for their day of fishing.
It was then that I found myself sharing with these men the story of the disciples on the lake and Jesus telling them to throw their nets over the other side of the boat. I suggested that they try throwing their nets over the other side. They both kind of looked at me in disbelief, but then proceeded to do so. No sooner had the man thrown the net in, than he began to pull it out, and it was full of little fish. He then said, "What do you think?" To me. I replied, "Try the other side again", which he did. Again it took the two of them to pull in the net.
After they had placed the bait fish into the container, the one man turned to me and said, "We have enough bait for the day. We have never caught so many in just two castings of our nets."
I told them, "When you put your trust in Jesus, He will always provide." They smiled, and began to pull anchor and leave for their day of fishing. They never indicated to me whether they were believers or not. I know in my heart that if they weren't, a seed was planted that day. As I watched them leave the marina, my prayer for them was that they would have some time during their day to reflect on the Creator of our world.
How easy it would have been for me to continue walking past them and not to have inquired as to what they were doing. How many times do we miss opportunities that the Lord provides for us to share Him with the world? Acts 22:15 - For you will be His witness to all men of what you have seen and heard.
Dear Jesus, thank You for being alive in us and prompting us to share You with the people we meet in life. We are sorry for the times we have missed these opportunities. We are grateful and blessed by each new day You give us through the rising and the setting of the sun. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.
Julie Bowles
John 21:5-6 - Jesus spoke to them: "Good morning! Did you catch anything for breakfast?" They answered, "No." He said, "Throw the net off the right side of the boat and see what happens." They did what he said. All of a sudden there were so many fish in it, they weren't strong enough to pull it in.
We recently spent a week on the Gulf coast of Florida, where each night, we were blessed to watch the sun set over the Gulf of Mexico.
Our morning also found us walking the beach. On this particular morning, I found myself standing on a pier watching two men in boat. From a distance, they appeared to be throwing something into the water and then pulling it back out. As I got closer to them, I could tell that they were throwing a net over the side of the boat. Again it came out empty.
As curiosity got the better of me, I inquired as to what they were doing. The one gentleman replied that they were trying to get bait in their net so that they could use the bait for their day of fishing.
It was then that I found myself sharing with these men the story of the disciples on the lake and Jesus telling them to throw their nets over the other side of the boat. I suggested that they try throwing their nets over the other side. They both kind of looked at me in disbelief, but then proceeded to do so. No sooner had the man thrown the net in, than he began to pull it out, and it was full of little fish. He then said, "What do you think?" To me. I replied, "Try the other side again", which he did. Again it took the two of them to pull in the net.
After they had placed the bait fish into the container, the one man turned to me and said, "We have enough bait for the day. We have never caught so many in just two castings of our nets."
I told them, "When you put your trust in Jesus, He will always provide." They smiled, and began to pull anchor and leave for their day of fishing. They never indicated to me whether they were believers or not. I know in my heart that if they weren't, a seed was planted that day. As I watched them leave the marina, my prayer for them was that they would have some time during their day to reflect on the Creator of our world.
How easy it would have been for me to continue walking past them and not to have inquired as to what they were doing. How many times do we miss opportunities that the Lord provides for us to share Him with the world? Acts 22:15 - For you will be His witness to all men of what you have seen and heard.
Dear Jesus, thank You for being alive in us and prompting us to share You with the people we meet in life. We are sorry for the times we have missed these opportunities. We are grateful and blessed by each new day You give us through the rising and the setting of the sun. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.
Julie Bowles
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