Launch Out - Again!

By John Clardy – 9/18/08

 

Luke 5:4-7

4          Now when he had left speaking, he said unto Simon, Launch out into the deep, and let down your nets for a draught.

5          And Simon answering said unto him, Master, we have toiled all the night, and have taken nothing: nevertheless at thy word I will let down the net.

6          And when they had this done, they inclosed a great multitude of fishes: and their net brake.

7          And they beckoned unto their partners, which were in the other ship, that they should come and help them. And they came, and filled both the ships, so that they began to sink.

 

Some Christians are so afraid of failure that they follow a policy of guarded living, holding back time, talents, and treasure from God's service. Their motto is: To keep from failing ‑‑ don't try! And like the man that buried his talent, what they try to keep from losing, they lose anyway because they are not willing to take a risk to increase it.

 

On the other hand, those who are willing to make mistakes and risk failure are the ones who achieve great things. Instead of being filled with fear, they go forward in faith. Problems are challenges. While they may not all be solved, these courageous people would rather live with that reality than have a clean record of no failures and no accomplishments.

 

In Luke 5, Peter had failed after a long night of work. But at the very moment of Peter=s discouragement over his failure, Jesus enters his boat and instructs him to launch out again into the deep and to throw out his nets and begin fishing once more.

 

I imagine Peter was tired. He was discouraged.  He wanted to quit!  But in spite of what he wanted to do and in spite of his doubts he obeyed!  He did not allow his previous failure to stand in the way of his future success.

 

Peter’s success consisted in doing exactly the same thing that he had been doing previously. The difference is that Jesus is now in the boat with Peter, and Peter believed that what he could not do alone had to succeed with Jesus helping him! He put his faith into action! He launched out again! He let down his nets again and he was rewarded abundantly!

 

What area in your life have you being trying to handle alone only to find your self exhausted, discouraged and nothing to show for your efforts?  Maybe God wants to step into an area that you feel is a complete failure.  It could be that the Lord is telling you not to give up, to go again, and to launch out again!  

 

The secret to turning failure into triumph is God’s presence in our lives and our obedience to His Word.  Do as Peter did, “Lord I have toiled all night long and taken nothing, nevertheless at thy word I will let down the net!”  Then get ready to encompass a blessing so big that you alone will not be able to contain it, but it will spill over from you and bless others!

 

Theodore Roosevelt:

It is not the critic who counts, not the man who points out how the strong man stumbled or where the doer of deeds could have done better.  The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena; whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again; who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, and spends himself in a worthy cause; who, at the best, knows in the end the triumph of high achievement; and who, at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat.