Don't throw the fish back.

Have you every watched one of those fishing shows on TV where they catch a big Bass and proudly release it back into the lake? I grew up in a fishing family and we went fishing because we enjoyed eating fish. As I grew up fish were a big part of our diet.

One of the requirements this year at Bethel School of Supernatural Ministry is to read through the Bible. We have daily reading and then answer questions about the text. This morning I was reading out of Luke 5 where Jesus is preaching and then asks Simon to push his boat out a bit so he could teach from the boat. At the end of His message he tells Simon to go out and let the nets down. Simon, apparently not wanting Jesus to be disappointed, responds by saying they had been fishing all night and caught nothing. Well you know the story, Peter takes a risk by obeying Jesus and this time the nets were so full he needed help. Simon calls for his fishing partners to come and help with the catch. Apparently they had no intention of throwing the fish back and he could not get all the catch in the boat without help.

Jesus used this to show Simon that he was his supplier and that from that time forward he would be helping Jesus catch the hearts of men. I imagine that they also ate those nutritious fish.

Saundi and I are in a short season of rebuilding. I am attending school and she is attending the many meetings here at Bethel. We are preparing for a great catch of men but right now we need more nutrition so we can be strong for the journey ahead. We can not bring the catch in without our friends to help us. God calls some of us to actually fish and others to help pull in the harvest. Without each other our nets would be lost.

From this lesson I learn the value of our friends. These are very exciting times with the sound of hope ringing through the church. We have seen how the church has failed to fulfill the great commission due to depending on the arm of man but there is a sound of hope ringing throughout the church. The Lord is teaching us that he never intended on spreading His Kingdom through the efforts of man but through total dependence on Jesus the Christ as the Holy Spirit teaches and leads us. None of us can do this alone. Our Lord Jesus forms a team of friends to pull in the net within our area of influence.