Apart from me you can do nothing.
—John 15:5
Seven apostles fished all night with nary a nibble.
At daybreak, a voice from the shore asked, “Do you have any fish?”
“No.”
“Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some.”
That netted 153 big ones. (See John 21:1–14.)
Jesus was as much in control of the Sea when their net came up empty as he was when it came up full.
He is in control of our emptiness as well as our fullness. We must be honest about our poverty before we will be in awe of his provision.
We cannot even do what we are good at without his making it so. We cannot speak, sing, write, lead—or anything else—without his enabling grace. “Apart from me,” he said, “you can do nothing.”
We must admit our scarcity
before we can appreciate his generosity.