ANGLICAN COMMUNION DAILY FOUNTAIN DEVOTIONAL Date: 2023-OCT- 07 TOPIC: DIVINE ENCOUNTER

TEXT: Luke 5:4-7(NKJV)

5:4. When He had stopped speaking, He said to Simon, "Launch out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch."

5:5. But Simon answered and said to Him, "Master, we have toiled all night and caught nothing; nevertheless at Your word I will let down the net."

5:6. And when they had done this, they caught a great number of fish, and their net was breaking.

5:7. So they signaled to [their] partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both the boats, so that they began to sink.

STUDY: Effort without result or success is regarded as fruitless effort. In Luke 5:4-7, we read the account of the miraculous catch of fish by Peter, a professional fisherman, who had toiled fruitlessly all night. He was in a hopeless situation and was already washing up to go home empty-handed. However, Jesus who later sat in the same boat to teach the people asked him to cast his net into the sea. He was confused because he wondered how a carpenter who taught like a prophet could teach a professional fisherman, fishing. However, he never knew that Jesus came to restore his hope-when he obeyed, he saw a miracle!

Jesus is the God of all circumstances and time; He has everything in his care! Are you in hopeless situation? Have you toiled all the years and are tired of your situation? Do not lose hope; all you have to do is to surrender that situation to Him. Remember God's word in Jeremiah 32:27 that nothing is too hard for him to do. Remember Psalm 30:5 which says that that sorrow does not last forever; surely, there is joy after! God is still in the business of turning hopeless situations around.

PRAYER: O Lord, please put an end to every fruitless effort in my life in Jesus' name, Amen.