My friend and colleague, Woody Smith, would canoe down the Buffalo River each year. He would spend ten days and go about sixty miles. It was quite an adventure for those of us who are not as adept to outdoor camping and canoeing. Woody knew how to do it so it made the journey enjoyable.
One of the things he taught me was where to catch the fish. After each rapid on the river, there would be a deep pool. You would go just beyond the deep pool and then cast back into it to catch the big fish. The big fish would make their way down the rapids and then rest in the deep waters of the pool.
Knowing where to fish and what to fish with is a key to catching fish. Fisher people (you can not call everyone fishermen any more) know the importance of this. A particular bait at a particular time at a particular place yields the big ones!
Jesus appeared to the disciples after his death. They had gone fishing again. The disciples were not catching anything. Then Jesus says, "Fish off the right side". When Jesus said this, they did not know it was Jesus. Peter, being an expert fisherperson, probably said, "Oh, so that's the problem, we are fishing off the wrong side of the boat. Some smartaleck thinks that we are that poor at fishing." Then it happened. The fish were everywhere. There were so many they had to call all the crew to land them.
When John looked again at the one who gave instructions, he saw the Lord.
It is a message for the church. If you are not catching anything, maybe it is time to fish on the other side. Maybe it is time to listen to what Jesus would have you do, instead of what you have been doing with little or no success. There are plenty of fish to be caught. All we need is some disciples who will heed the voice of the one who can guide them
Church, do you hear the voice of Jesus?
Pray for me as I pray for you.
In the Masters Name,
Rev. Dr. M. Jack O'Dell
Lead Pastor, The Well
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