The directive is absurd. “Throw your nets over the other side of the boat.” It was the same stretch of water. What difference would that make? Well, it appeared to make a lot of difference, for when the nets were cast on the other side, they had a massive catch. Why they did what Jesus said, given that they didn’t know who he was, we don’t know. Perhaps the authority in his directive compelled them. The catch of fish was a miracle. Jesus made it happen, that is clear. But if they had not followed Jesus’ seemingly futile directive, they would have caught nothing. That is equally clear. There are many things we might do that, while they do not effect anything in themselves, allow us to connect with what God wants to do for us. If you hear something at church that challenges you, do something, anything in response. Speak to the pastor, respond to a call for prayer, pray with a friend; just do something. Responding actively in some way, cements something within you and creates a bit of momentum for change. If you find it hard to engage with worship at church or you find it hard to concentrate when you pray on your own, do something physical, like raising your hands or kneeling, to amplify your intentions. I remember feeling stagnant in my faith and felt prompted to ask a fellow leader to pray for me. When I look back, I recognise that this gesture was as significant in opening me up to God as the prayer he prayed for me.
What gesture could you make to amplify your intentions or desires to God?
Read John 21:1-14
