John 21:6
And he said unto them, Cast the net on the right side of the ship, and ye shall find.  They cast therefore, and now they were not able to draw it for the multitude of fishes.

Without Jesus, our nets come up empty.  When we toil apart from Him, we find nothing.  But with Him, our nets are filled to overflowing.  With Jesus near, we gain much.  By His command, we shall find where there was nothing before.  What an amazing moment this must have been for the disciples to drag this overflowing net back to shore.  And when we do what Jesus tells us to do, we, too, will be amazed at the abundance that will be found because of our obedience.

After His resurrection, Jesus comes to His disciples in an encounter very similar to one He had had with them before.  There was another time where they came up empty and then caught a multitude of fish when Jesus told them to cast their nets out.  It was a good reminder to them that their work wasn’t done yet and they weren’t doing it alone, apart from Christ.  They were part of Him, and He was part of them, and they were co-laborers with Him in the work He gave them to do—that initial job of being fishers of men.

Maybe we just need a fresh reminder that we are nothing without Jesus and we can do nothing without Him.  Maybe we just need to remember the task He has first called us to and go forth into it with new enthusiasm and energy.  Maybe we need to set aside some things that have distracted us and put our whole heart and soul into bearing fruit for Jesus.  Maybe there is something beyond the ordinary that Jesus wants us to experience that demonstrates His power and His love and His care for us.

Wherever we are in our walk with the Lord, He will continue to work in our lives.  He will continue to lead us forward in ways we can serve Him.  He will continually reveal Himself to us along the way.  That same amazing Lord we first encountered upon our salvation is the same amazing Lord who is with us today.  That same power He had when He walked with the disciples so long ago is the same power He has to work within our lives today.  There’s no need to turn back to our old and empty ways, but let us keep to the path that Christ has laid out for us to follow.