Cast Out a Little Farther

by rebekahbeene

Danny and I both grew up fishing alongside parents and grandparents. In turn we took our children fishing and now they too take their children fishing. It’s a good, clean activity that can produce some delicious results if done right. It does take some planning. The right bait and the right technique, along with the right equipment makes for a successful catch. Little children don’t know quite how to fish when they start so sometimes it’s a little haphazard. 

Jesus had taught His disciples much and yet they had so much more to learn. I can relate, can’t you? He appeared on the shore seeing that they weren’t able to catch a single fish. They were discouraged. The flesh was not cooperating, even though fishing was their very lifestyle. They already KNEW how to fish. Was it desperation or was it obedience? When He told them to cast out in a different direction they did it. The catch was beyond their ability to haul in. It was more than they could handle. Suddenly the men who couldn’t catch a perch had a month’s load in one cast. Peter, realizing it was Jesus, hurled himself out into the water and swam to meet Him! I love this. Are you ready to step out into deeper water with Him? Are you ready to totally immerse yourself in Christ and not care what happens or where He sends you or what He instructs you to do?

God speaks to my heart: I AM the Lord. I AM the one who has redeemed you, given you a new name, reshaped your life and restored your soul. You are not who you were. So it’s time to cast out a little farther with Me. I want you to know the depths of the riches of My wisdom and knowledge. Where is your weakness? I AM there to strengthen Myself through you. Where is your lack? I AM there to give abundantly beyond all you could ask or think. Where is your blindness? I AM your vision, your purpose, your plan and your provision. Fishing for small fry was good when you were a child in the faith, but I AM calling you to deeper trolling of My Word. This will not be fleshly fishing, but will be Spirit casting into and beyond your natural beliefs. If you will let Me, I will take you beyond yourself and fully into the depths of My Kingdom and it will be for your good and My glory.

Oh beloved, God is calling this morning. You’ve been thinking about letting go of the bank of earthly cares and desires. You’ve wondered if God can be trusted. He can! You may feel less than but God is MORE THAN. You may have been bewildered by the lack of fruit for your labor. You may have been left to go it alone. All this is well within God’s plan to take you beyond the natural and into the supernatural. Run to His Word of Faith this morning and see! Run to Christ and believe! Run to the Spirit and let Him envelop you and change your plans. As you totally abandon yourself to Him you will find that peace will increase, fruit will overflow and life will be better than it’s ever been in your wildest dreams. 

God loves you and He is for you so wherever He tells you to cast your net, do it quickly. That’s where the real fruit and the real life in Christ is.

Luke 5:4 When Jesus had finished speaking, He said to Simon, “Now go out where it is deeper, and let down your nets to catch some fish

I John 1:4 We are writing these things so that you may fully share our joy.

Psalm 143:8 Let me hear of Your unfailing love each morning, for I am trusting You. Show me where to walk, for I give myself to You.

John 3:30 He must increase, but I must decrease. 

Psalm 111:10 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; all those who practice it have a good understanding. His praise endures forever! 

Ephesians 3:20 Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us…

Your Weakness is His Opportunity to Shine!

I haven’t done much sewing in a lot of years. But I am making Stella a Christmas dress. Am making is a loose term for half of it is cut out and the other half is laying on the table. The sewing machine is yet to be set up and right now it’s just a dream in my mind. I can see how I want it to be, but nothing’s really formed yet. Since “dress up Sunday” is this week-end I have precious little time left to get it all together. I have a backup plan in case my dreams don’t make it to reality but tonight my plan is to get that little sweety’s dress finished.

Christmas is a great time to overload the hours with preparations. It’s that wonderful opportunity to bring out the best in the closets and the best in us. Sometimes, though, when I go through the Christmas decorations I find that somewhere along the way things have gotten broken or ripped or become tattered. It requires fixing, gluing or deciding if it’s going to make it into this year’s adornment. Some things don’t really look worthy to be seen. The worn and not so pretty ornaments remind us of our own not so perfect self. If we’re not careful we’ll look at our less than Martha Stewart holiday preparations and pronounce ourselves unfit for display. The tendency is to want Norman Rockwell to paint us and House Beautiful to highlight us, but life is messy. Most of us want to pull Christmas off without a hitch but imperfection abounds and life happens even while we’re having fun.

We’re not worthy. We’re not capable. We can’t pull this thing called life off without a hitch. We try to sew things up, glue the brokenness and patch the missing pieces but still we find ourselves less than. We’ll try to straighten ourselves up, dust ourselves off, start over again and work harder, do more, and hide the hurts, anguish and pain. But we’re still broken and we need something more than we can produce with our own hands to fix it all. We need someone else to come into our mess and make things right.

God speaks to my heart: Your weakness is My opportunity to showcase my glory. Stop worrying about the 'less thans' and look to Me, for I AM more than. I am more than a Savior, I am your wonderful counselor, your everlasting Father, and the prince of peace. I have come so that you can have life more abundantly than you can produce on your own. I AM the Mighty God. I am your protector, provider and repairer. I specialize in restoring people. I AM capable of taking everything broken, bent out of shape and unfit for sight and making it all new – including you. Look again at the less than perfect décor and let it all remind you that you are My precious child, perfected in Christ. Everything you lack is found in Me. In everything that you are declared unfit in this world I over-stamp with my seal of approval. You are precious in My sight and your days are numbered. But not so that you can worry that you won’t get it all done, but so you can rest in Me while you work. Relax, and know that I AM able to let My light shine through everything you do.

Oh beloved, the weakness you see in yourself is simply a beautiful decoration to show forth the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light. If you don’t get it all done, don’t worry for He did! Let yourself enjoy the holidays and the preparation and the giving and whatever else your hand has to do, for His greatest blessing is when you let Him shine His glory through you for the world to see. He loves you and He’s for you and that makes things right all through the years.

2 Corinthians 12:9 And He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.” Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me.

Hebrews 11:1-2 Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. For by it the men of old gained approval.

John 14:1 Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in Me.

Galatians 2:20 My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

Psalm 57:2 I will cry to God Most High, To God who accomplishes all things for me.

Today is Double Portion Day!

Someone mentioned double portions in a post yesterday and God brought to mind elementary school camp, which was so much fun and a great blessing as a kid. I loved camp at Lake Tyler! The massive cedar paneled dining hall and the scrumptious biscuits with honey and butter were just wonderful. You’d go through the line to get your meal and they’d ladle each portion carefully on your plate. You didn’t get to go back through the line, but your tray was so full that nobody needed seconds!  Holiday plates are wonderful too! When I was a girl the men ate from platters! Their plates would be so full and brimming over the edge – as they ate all the wonderful delicacies saved especially for holidays. We kids had our special plates too and there was always a table for just desserts. I have photos my mother took of my two nephews standing on their little tiptoes trying to get a piece of cake or pie from that table!

We’d sit around and enjoy those family meals, including Sunday dinners, with the adults talking and the kids giggling and nudging one another under the table! Our little dog, Tinkerbell, even got in on the festivities. She’d sit underneath the table and tap one lap after another for a morsel from the huge spread!  Everyone enjoyed double portions and laughed as they tasted all the desserts, candies and cookies. Those times were not for diets, but for fellowship. And our fellowships were awesome!

Maybe you miss the old days. Perhaps you feel that you don’t have enough of the good things anymore. You once ate at the table until you were full and felt so satisfied. But life has crept in and the little troubles have overtaken the big joys. You hold back – from enjoying - blessing, banqueting, fellowshipping and more. You feel you must refrain – you’ve either done too wrong, gone too far or can’t believe God anymore.  It could be that a loved one has disappointed you or betrayed you. You can’t possibly see how God would want you at His table anymore.

Oh beloved! You need to know today that a double portion is yours! A double portion of His love, a double portion of His grace, a double portion of His mercy! What are you lacking? Where is your weakness? A double portion is yours for the asking! Hungry for God , for the way it was? He says to you today, Come back to Me for I have a double portion awaiting those who turn to Me.  He will NOT turn you away, you may come to the banqueting room over and over again! Feasting on His Manna makes for healthy hearts, healthy minds and healthy spirits!

Don’t hold back today, but run to the King of Kings and let Him serve you all the riches of His Kingdom. Give your heart fully to Him and watch as you Open His Menu Book and See – no prices listed- for His choicest foods are available at no cost to you! It may look like the world’s menu is the better deal, but it always costs you more than you want to pay and never fulfills your longing heart.  Everything in His Menu Book is readable and understandable for you, His child. It’s all yours! For the Lord of Heaven and Earth is your Double Portion always!

He loves you beloved, forever! And He’s going to keep you spiritually fed and well cared for all the days of your life!

Psalm 23:5 You prepare a feast for me in the presence of my enemies. You honor me by anointing my head with oil. My cup overflows with blessings.

Psalm 31:19 How great is the goodness You have stored up for those who fear You. You lavish it on those who come to You for protection, blessing them before the watching world.

Psalm 16:11 You will make known to me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; In Your right hand there are pleasures forever. (NAS)

Psalm 24:5 They will receive the Lord’s blessing and have a right relationship with God their savior.

John 10:10 The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. KJV