By Dr. Philip West
Growing up, I enjoyed playing games with my friends. We would gather on my neighbor’s huge front porch to escape the heat on a hot summer afternoon or find shelter from a rainstorm.
Whether we were playing Parcheesi, Monopoly, or some card game, I was always very competitive and wanted to win. But the old saying is true: “You win some, you lose some.”
As children, we learned that we don’t always win. As adults, we discover that things don’t always go our way either. Losses, disappointments, and unexpected circumstances are part of life.
We see this truth illustrated when Jesus appeared to seven of His disciples by the Sea of Galilee. After fishing all night, Jesus asked them if they had caught anything. Disappointed, they answered, “No.”
He said to them, “Throw your net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some” (John 21:6). In obedience and trust, they followed His instructions, and their net was filled with 153 large fish. Sometimes our empty nets become opportunities for God’s provision. When life does not go the way we hoped, will we trust the One who is always in control?
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