“To capture joy, we must cast a net of gratitude.”
(Unknown)
I read the above quote the other day and immediately jotted it down. The more I looked at it, my thoughts turned to a group of fisherman.
Jesus was standing by the lake when He saw two boats at the edge. The fishermen had gotten out of their boats and were cleaning their nets.
Jesus got in one of the boats and began teaching the people who had gathered around Him. When He was done teaching, He asked Peter to push out into the water.
He then instructed Peter to put down his nets for a catch.
Now Peter was an experienced fisherman by trade. He could have resisted Jesus’ request, for Jesus was not a fisherman at all. He was a carpenter by trade. What could a carpenter possibly know about fishing?
But Peter did as he was told.
“Master, we worked hard all night and caught nothing, but I will do as You say and let down the nets.” (Luke 5:5, NASB)
Peter called Jesus, Master, indicating that he recognized the authority and might of Jesus. More so, Peter was willing to submit to His authority rather than depend on his own experience in fishing. He was willing to risk looking foolish and inept in light of the One giving the suggestion.
Returning to the quote above, perhaps at times we are asked to do something we may not think feasible. It may not make sense to our natural manner of thinking. May we obey anyway.
Let’s cast a net of gratitude,
grateful for the guidance we receive,
for there is great joy in obeying Jesus.
This post is for anyone having a challenging week of any kind. It can be an illness, finances, relationships, children, or anxiety. It is whatever keeps you up at night. Paris Renae reminds us “… to fall on our knees in faith” and call on God. You can read her post, “It is a prayer” HERE.
Come, sit a spell. Bring your coffee, your posts, and your thoughts. If you link up, kindly visit those who have drawn up a seat around you.
Image by Quang Nguyen vinh from Pixabay
“To capture joy, we must cast a net of gratitude.”
If something seems out of sorts or off-kilter, here’s the reason why. Love this, Joanne.
Amen!
A great post Joanne. May we all be obedient to what God leads us to do, even when it goes against our logic at the time.
Blessings, Jennifer
Recently, our bible study lesson focused on this interaction between Jesus and Peter. Your post reminded me of our discussion and the power found in trusting in God’s guidance even when it feels counterintuitive… Despite our own doubts, it leads to unexpected blessings! I look forward to sharing your quote with our group! Thank you!
Sometimes I’ve dismissed thoughts of some kind of action because they don’t make sense. This is a poignant reminder that God’s thoughts and ways are higher than ours and won’t always make sense. I need to think and pray over those prompts to determine if they are from Him.
Joanne, I love this. The picture and the connection with Peter is a good reminder to cast our nets of gratitude.
Joanne I love that quote! I was recently meditating on the connection between Joy and Gratitude, this post was a blessing!
What a great quote! And that story always captures my attention because it ends in Peter worshiping Jesus.
Joanne, there’s hope and joy in this statement, “Let’s cast a net of gratitude, grateful for the guidance we receive, for there is great joy in obeying Jesus.”
Thank you for hosting, Joanne, have a lovely week! Creatively, Beth