Putting our Nets Back in the Water

We recently shared that due to a decrease in giving, we have been pulling out of our savings to make ends meet. We are so thankful to have built up savings over the last few years to get us through this lean time. Even though it isn’t fun, that’s what savings is for. In His wisdom and provision, the Lord enabled us to build significant savings for our church operations and the Great Room project, savings that have allowed us to navigate these budget shortfalls. In challenging financial times, it is easy to feel like God has forgotten us or that we must have done something wrong. But remembering His faithfulness to provide and increase our savings well before these needs is the true miracle of provision we are experiencing.

Luke 5 is the familiar story of a provision miracle Jesus performed for Peter, James, and John. The story goes that after having fished all night without catching anything, Jesus told them to go back out into the water to fish again. Despite their frustration and disappointment, they caught an enormous amount of fish when they obeyed. There were so many fish that it caused their nets to begin to break! They even had to call for another boat to help them get all the fish into the boats! As we walk through the beginning of 2024 and I look at the reality of the numbers in our current state of a prolonged financial battle, I can imagine the discouragement that Peter must have felt all too well. Fishing all night with nothing to show for it would be disheartening. Peter did everything he knew to catch fish and provide for his family’s needs with no return, just as we have done everything we know to do, with little change to show for it. (No pun intended) We have faithfully “thrown out the nets,” believing each time that this will be the month that things change. Each time our “nets” come back empty, we must face the complex reality of another month with a large deficit. Watching our savings dwindle, giving up, and sitting on the shore gets more tempting. But Jesus is meeting us there, just like he met Peter, asking us to push back onto the water to try again.

Praying is putting our nets back in the water. Diligently working through the budget to wisely steward what we have is putting our nets back in the water. Bringing our need before you to partner in prayer and generosity with us is putting our nets back in the water. Stirring up our faith together to believe that financial struggle will not write the story of this community in 2024 is putting our nets back in the water.

Jesus said to Simon, “Put out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.” And Simon answered, “Master, we toiled all night and took nothing! But at your word I will let down the nets.” And when they had done this, they enclosed a large number of fish, and their nets were breaking.” (Luke 5:4-6)

“Lord, we have done our best, diligent and faithful in our effort, but have come up empty—but you still know where and how to lead us. We are discouraged, disheartened, and tired—but you still know where and how to lead us. Build our faith to trust you when you say “try again” until we see our nets breaking under the strain of provision. May there be no doubt that You alone provide! Just as you performed a miracle for your followers then, we ask for a miracle of provision now.”