Also within that same text is a lesson to us to never give up. Though
            
            
              they fish all night to no avail, they cast the nets again, albeit skepti-
            
            
              cally, and are finally rewarded for their willingness to continue their
            
            
              work.  I find it interesting that even though they are skeptical and re-
            
            
              luctant to continue, and do so only at Jesus˅ urging, that alone is
            
            
              enough to receive the rewards Christ promised.
            
            
              Finally, Simon is moved to confess himself as a sinner to Jesus.  Je-
            
            
              sus immediate reply to the confession is, ˈDo not be afraid.ˉ I often
            
            
              find myself uneasy about confession, unsure about my reconciliation.
            
            
              I feel lingering guilt about sins I˅ve committed.  I sometimes find it
            
            
              difficult to accept God˅s forgiveness.  However, this seems to me to
            
            
              be clear evidence that God is unconcerned about sins confessed and
            
            
              repented.  I should remember this more frequently.
            
            
              P
            
            
              RAYER
            
            
              Jesus, help me turn
            
            
              humbly toward your lov-
            
            
              ing heart.  Help me to
            
            
              overcome my fear and
            
            
              weakness.  Reconcile
            
            
              my soul, reward me with
            
            
              Your love.
            
            
              _______
            
            
              Jennifer Rockenback
            
            
              and Doug Decauwer
            
            
              Parents of Hartley and Jude