The Men Who Knew Too Much.
Joel Osteen
One time, Jesus was on the beach and saw a group of fishermen putting away their empty fishing nets. They had been out all night. Jesus walked over to them and asked if He could borrow their boat so He could push away from the shore and teach a large crowd of people that had gathered. Jesus had never met these fishermen before, but they allowed Him to borrow the boat. When He was finished, as a way to thank them, Jesus told them to launch out into the deep and they would catch a great number of fish. Now, these men began to reason it all out in their minds. They probably thought, "This man is a teacher. We are professional fishermen, and He's telling us how and when to fish. Doesn't He know this is how we make our living? We've been doing this for many years. We are experts in our field. We know when the fish are biting and when they aren't, and now is not the time to fish!"
Friend, do you realize that sometimes you can know too much? Sometimes our own intellect can keep us from God's best. If you listen to some of the experts on the economy long enough, they'll talk you into going under. They'll talk you into living a defeated life. Some medical reports will talk you into staying sick. Some news reports will keep you from pursuing your dreams. I know it's always good to have information and understand things in the natural. I'm not saying to hide our heads in the sand. But at some point, you've got to get out of the natural and say, "This may be impossible with men, but I know with God all things are possible." At some point, you've got to say to yourself, "I am not going to let circumstances direct me. I'm not going to allow any more doubt and unbelief to come into my mind. Yes, I want to know the facts, but the truth of God's Word is what stands forever!"
The fishermen finally said to Jesus as politely as they could, "Sir, we've been fishing all night and didn't catch anything. We are very knowledgeable. We are very experienced. This is not our first time out. And we appreciate your advice. We appreciate your suggestion, but we are extremely tired. We need to get home and get some rest. This is not a time to go fish." Jesus replied, "Listen, men. This may not make sense to you. You may not understand it. But I know what I'm talking about. When I say there are fish out there, it may defy the odds. It may seem like a waste of your time, but you've got to realize, I control the fish! There may not have been fish out there last night or the night before or last year. But I can assure you, there are fish out there right now! They probably thought, "All right. This seems strange; it seems odd. Nevertheless at Your word, we will do it." That's the attitude we've got to have. "This doesn't even make sense for me to believe. It doesn't even make sense for me to get my hopes up. Nevertheless, if God says so, I'm going to believe so." Well, those men went out and caught so many fish that their nets began to break! When they stepped out and obeyed Him by faith, He did exceedingly above what they could ever imagine!
Today, are you considering your circumstances, or are you considering your God? Are you fully persuaded that God is going to do what He promised? Or have you talked yourself out of it? It's easy to think that your dream is too big or your problem is too great in the natural. But remember, we serve a supernatural God! Keep believing, keep moving forward, keep obeying His Word because He is faithful. If He said it, He will do it. Let your faith connect with His power and watch Him do extraordinary things in your life!
One time, Jesus was on the beach and saw a group of fishermen putting away their empty fishing nets. They had been out all night. Jesus walked over to them and asked if He could borrow their boat so He could push away from the shore and teach a large crowd of people that had gathered. Jesus had never met these fishermen before, but they allowed Him to borrow the boat. When He was finished, as a way to thank them, Jesus told them to launch out into the deep and they would catch a great number of fish. Now, these men began to reason it all out in their minds. They probably thought, "This man is a teacher. We are professional fishermen, and He's telling us how and when to fish. Doesn't He know this is how we make our living? We've been doing this for many years. We are experts in our field. We know when the fish are biting and when they aren't, and now is not the time to fish!"
Friend, do you realize that sometimes you can know too much? Sometimes our own intellect can keep us from God's best. If you listen to some of the experts on the economy long enough, they'll talk you into going under. They'll talk you into living a defeated life. Some medical reports will talk you into staying sick. Some news reports will keep you from pursuing your dreams. I know it's always good to have information and understand things in the natural. I'm not saying to hide our heads in the sand. But at some point, you've got to get out of the natural and say, "This may be impossible with men, but I know with God all things are possible." At some point, you've got to say to yourself, "I am not going to let circumstances direct me. I'm not going to allow any more doubt and unbelief to come into my mind. Yes, I want to know the facts, but the truth of God's Word is what stands forever!"
The fishermen finally said to Jesus as politely as they could, "Sir, we've been fishing all night and didn't catch anything. We are very knowledgeable. We are very experienced. This is not our first time out. And we appreciate your advice. We appreciate your suggestion, but we are extremely tired. We need to get home and get some rest. This is not a time to go fish." Jesus replied, "Listen, men. This may not make sense to you. You may not understand it. But I know what I'm talking about. When I say there are fish out there, it may defy the odds. It may seem like a waste of your time, but you've got to realize, I control the fish! There may not have been fish out there last night or the night before or last year. But I can assure you, there are fish out there right now! They probably thought, "All right. This seems strange; it seems odd. Nevertheless at Your word, we will do it." That's the attitude we've got to have. "This doesn't even make sense for me to believe. It doesn't even make sense for me to get my hopes up. Nevertheless, if God says so, I'm going to believe so." Well, those men went out and caught so many fish that their nets began to break! When they stepped out and obeyed Him by faith, He did exceedingly above what they could ever imagine!
Today, are you considering your circumstances, or are you considering your God? Are you fully persuaded that God is going to do what He promised? Or have you talked yourself out of it? It's easy to think that your dream is too big or your problem is too great in the natural. But remember, we serve a supernatural God! Keep believing, keep moving forward, keep obeying His Word because He is faithful. If He said it, He will do it. Let your faith connect with His power and watch Him do extraordinary things in your life!
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