Chasing Solomon

In the 21st chapter of John, we find the story of Simon Peter and his friends going fishing. I have noticed something intriguing about this story. Simon Peter was a fisherman by trade. What fishermen love more than anything is a good day on the lake. That’s where they find the “good life.” Jesus knew that very well I think and He desired to show Simon Peter and his friends that the “good life” can be found in Him. I believe Jesus want to show us how to have the “good life” too.

After a long night of fishing, the Bible tells us, “they caught nothing.” Have you ever come up empty after a quest for something? A new car that lost that new car smell sooner than you wanted? A house that you had desired for so long and once you finally got it, you felt empty? A promotion? A relationship? After hearing they had caught nothing, Jesus told them to cast their nets on the right side of the boat and that they would catch some fish there. They did as instructed and the Bible indicates that they were not able to haul it in for the quantity of fish. Several verses later it states that they caught 153 fish, and not just fish but what is described as large fish.

Anyone who has every fished knows that a catch of 153 fish equates to a most memorable day. In all my years of fishing, I have never caught 153 large fish, and especially not on one single fishing trip. I couldn’t imagine what that would be like. One thing I do know though is that if I ever caught 153 large fish in one day, I wouldn’t forget about it the rest of my life. I would tell everybody I knew. I would tell my kids and grandkids, co-workers and anybody else who would listen. And I would especially tell them about the guide who turned me on to such a great catch. I’d refer everybody I knew to this guide. Why? Because I had found an experience in life that was almost too good to be true and would want them to experience it, too. So what do we learn here? Well I think a couple of lessons.

One, we learn that obeying Jesus reaps rewards or “catches” that are simply unbelievable. How many times do we “fish” on one side of the boat, thinking that our way is the way? We think we have life all figured out. We have done things our ways for many years and are very comfortable in our perceived self sufficiency. If we need Jesus’ help, we know where to find him. But we’ll be the ones who do the calling.

So often we come up empty doing things our way. Like Solomon, we will always come up empty in a pursuit of accumulating possessions. We think they will somehow fill our nets but they don’t. Once we listen to the Master’s voice (the voice of truth), life radically changes. He tells us to throw our nets on the other side of the boat. In other words, try it Jesus’ way. It is interesting that the Bible doesn’t say that maybe you will catch something if you try it Jesus’ way. It says that Jesus said, “Throw your net on the right side of the boat and you WILL find some.”

He doesn’t want us to try it another way just for the sake of trying something different. He wants us to find the “catch of our lives”. He wants to fill our nets to the point they can’t hold any more. He wants to give us joy in life. He doesn’t want us to merely find life, he tells us how to find abundant life. Not only do we catch fish, we catch 153 of them, and they are all large fish too.

The other intriguing thing about this story is that Jesus invites Simon Peter and his friends to the table. Even when we are stubborn and prideful, and do things our way, He still calls out to us to “cast our nets on the other side.” That’s the good news of the gospel. He doesn’t punish us or deprive us of a net full of fish. Just the opposite. He invites us to the dinner table and supplies us with a “net full of the abundant life” that only He can give. He knows where we should cast our nets. Will you listen to the Master and cast your net on the other side of the boat where you will find what you are really looking for?

Thought of the day: If you are coming up empty trying to find fish (abundant life) on your own, the Chasing Solomon conference on Feb 8th and 9th is meant to help you find and experience the abundant life that is found in Jesus.

The man of pseudo faith will fight for his verbal creed but refuse flatly to allow himself to get into a predicament where his future must depend upon that verbal creed being true. He always provides himself with secondary ways to escape so he will have a way out if the roof caves in. What we need very badly these days is a company of Christians who are prepared to trust God as completely now as they know they must do at the last days.

A.W. Tozer

Do you like getting yourselves into predicaments? Most people don’t. We’ll do whatever steps are necessary in order to stay in control of our lives; especially in the area of our finances. Are you able to trust the Lord with some areas of your life but have trouble trusting Him with your financial affairs? Are you willing to trust Him to save you from eternal damnation but won’t trust Him with your checkbook? Do you come up with a good plan B before venturing out into the unknown where the Lord may be calling you? But where is the faith in our self-formulated plan Bs? The Christian life is a life of faith, on in which we completely trust in the Lord for all of life and for our eternal future.

Christians affirm our faith as we recite the Apostle’s Creed. We say “I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Catholic church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting.” If we believe like we say we do, then we clearly should have the faith to trust the Lord to guide our paths daily. We say we are trusting Him for our eternal future. But what about today? What about tomorrow?

The same Lord and Savior who has provided the way to eternal life is the same Lord who will guide your paths every day of your life. What need is there for a Plan B if you are truly trusting in the greatest plan of all, God’s plan A for your life? The good news is that He does have a perfect plan A for your life. Listen to the voice of the good Shepherd and follow Him in faith and obedience.

The Chasing Solomon Live II Conference will be held at Christ United Methodist Church in Jackson, MS on Feb 8th and 9th. Go to www.chasingsolomon.com for details. Let’s join together to be a “company of Christians who are prepared to trust God as completely now as we know we must do at the last days.”