Empty Nets Syndrome

Simon answered, “Master, we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets.” Luke 5:5 (NLT)

            They were weary, frustrated, and disappointed. Over and over, during the long hours of the night, they’d cast their nets into the Lake of Galilee without catching a single fish. Never before had they encountered such a setback. There would be nothing to sell at the market, no money to bring home to their families.

            As he washed one of the nets at the water’s edge, checking for rips or tears, Simon kept his gaze on the task before him. He couldn’t bear to look at his fishing partners, James and John. He was all too conscious of the disappointment and frustration stirring in their hearts. Little did any of them know that the man standing in the midst of a crowd, teaching, and preaching, would change their lives forever.

            There have been times in my life when I’ve suffered from that empty-nets syndrome. No matter how much I try, no matter how much I toil, my nets come up empty. I have nothing to claim, nothing to share, nothing to show for my hours of labor.

            Yet, God can redeem those times of emptiness. When I come to the realization that all my efforts, all my resolve and determination, all my toil are only as effective as God’s supremacy in my life. When I run to God empty-handed, that’s precisely when He is able to fill me with His love, His grace, His wisdom, and His power so that He might be glorified.

            Simon’s nets were eventually filled to overflowing. Not because of anything he did or said, but because of his surrender and obedience to Jesus. By faith, he cast his nets into the lake and pulled in the biggest haul of fish he’d ever seen.

            Empty so that we might be filled. This is the paradox of grace.