Scripture Reading:

“‘I’m going out to fish,’ Simon Peter told them… but that night they caught nothing. Early in the morning, Jesus stood on the shore… He called out to them, ‘Friends, haven’t you any fish?’ ‘No,’ they answered. He said, ‘Throw your net on the right side of the boat and you will find some.’ When they did, they were unable to haul the net in because of the large number of fish.” John 21:3–6 (NIV)

Devotional Thought:

Before this moment, Peter had already seen Jesus fill his nets in Luke 5. He had left the boats, the nets, and even the first miracle catch to follow Jesus. But after he failed—after denying the One he loved—Peter slipped back into the familiar.

“I’m going fishing.” Not because he wanted fish, but because failure convinced him he didn’t deserve purpose. Many of us know this feeling. We don’t doubt Jesus… we doubt ourselves. We don’t question His love… we question whether we belong in it. When purpose feels far, old patterns feel familiar.

Peter returns to old boats, old nets, and an old identity. But Jesus doesn’t leave him there. He comes to the shoreline—the very place Peter drifted back to—and calls out to him with a gentle question: “Have you caught anything?” This isn’t information… it’s revelation. Jesus is asking: “Has going back produced anything in you?” “Has the old life given you what you hoped?” “Has the familiar brought fruit… or emptiness?” Sometimes God has to let the nets stay empty until we admit what isn’t working.

Then Jesus gives a simple instruction: “Throw your net on the right side.” The right side was more than a direction—it was a mindset. Peter had been casting from insecurity, disappointment, and shame. Now Jesus was calling him to cast from obedience, faith, and hope. And when Peter realizes the voice is Jesus, he doesn’t hesitate. He doesn’t hide. He doesn’t withdraw. He jumps into the water.

Why? Because grace was calling his name. The God who filled Peter’s nets the first time is the same God who filled them after he failed. Your failure is never final. Your past is never powerful enough to cancel God’s purpose. Where you retreat, Jesus returns. Where you feel empty, Jesus restores. Where you think it’s over, Jesus prepares a second catch.

Reflection Questions:

1. Have you ever gone “back to the familiar” because you felt unworthy or disappointed in yourself?
2. What “old boats” or “old patterns” do you tend to return to when you feel far from purpose?
3. What might Jesus be asking you to admit about the places where your nets have come up empty?
4. Which area of your life is God calling you to “flip the net” — to shift from fear to faith?
5. What step of boldness—like Peter jumping into the water—do you sense God calling you to make?

Prayer:

Lord Jesus, thank You that my failure is never final in Your hands. Thank You for meeting me in the places I retreat to, for calling my name even when I feel unworthy, and for inviting me to cast again. I surrender my disappointment, my shame, and every old pattern I have run back to. Give me the courage to throw my net on the right side—to step out in faith, obedience, and hope. Restore my purpose, renew my identity, and lead me into the second catch You have prepared for me. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Action Step:

Identify one old pattern or “old net” you tend to slip back into—an old habit, mindset, or behaviour that feels familiar but is fruitless. Write it down. Then pray: “Lord, this time I cast on the right side.” Take one small, practical step this week in the opposite direction of your old pattern.

Family Declaration:

We declare that failure is not final in our home. We will not return to old patterns when purpose feels far. Jesus meets us where we are, restores what is broken, and calls us into new beginnings. We choose faith over fear, obedience over disappointment, and purpose over familiarity. As a family, we will cast our nets on the right side and trust the God of the Second Catch. Our story is not finished—God is still writing it!