Right now, many of us are sensing God calling us beyond:
Beyond barriers, past what’s been, and into something greater than we’ve yet imagined. (Eph 3:20)
It’s the pull of the Holy Spirit.
If this stirs you, receive faith for the “more” God has for you.
For this is a season of great harvest.
“Lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are already white for harvest.”
(John 4:35, NKJV)
Seeing Beyond the Empty Nets
Recently, I preached from this story in Luke:
“One day as Jesus was preaching on the shore of the
Sea of Galilee, great crowds pressed in on him to
listen to the word of God.
He noticed two empty boats at the water’s edge, for
the fishermen had left them and were washing their
nets…”
(Luke 5:1-2, NLT)
And I posed the question,
“If we were walking by that scene, what would we see?”
- Fishermen, cleaning nets, no evidence of a catch
- If we were extra perceptive, we might notice the weariness, dejection, and frustration
But what did Jesus see?
He saw all of that, but He saw beyond it.
Full nets,
Disciples,
Future Apostles
And a boat for a pulpit.
Jesus saw that His Father was bringing a miracle supply.
He understood that the empty nets were a setup.
3 Keys to Stepping Into God’s Appointed Harvest
1. See Beyond to What the Father is Doing
What would it look like to see your own “empty nets” as Jesus sees?
Jesus said,
“The Son can do nothing by Himself… He does only what He sees the Father doing.”?
(John 5:19, NLT)
And this shows us:
- Discernment is more than being observant
- It’s more than seeing behind face value
- And more, even, than perceiving the source
True discernment is only possible as we see the Kingdom context.
To look beyond, and see what Jesus sees:
That which the Father is doing, at the time He is doing it.
And to discern what is on God’s agenda.
This is a powerful Kingdom principle.
It changes how we see!
2. Step Beyond Our Limitation Into Abundance
A month later, I wasn’t thinking about that message at all.
But on 23 November, during the worship service at our church, I had a vision.
I saw Jesus a short distance ahead of me to the right, on a path. He was beckoning me to follow Him.
Instinctively, I looked down and was surprised to see I was standing in fishing nets.
I stepped out of them easily, but I realized they could have tripped me up.
I ran to catch up, and then Jesus took me aside to a viewing platform overlooking the water.
It was a river filled with a multitude of fish.
The waters seemed to be boiling with life.
New Definitions for a New Season
The writer of Hebrews urges us,
“…let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up.
And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us.”
(Hebrew 12:1b, NLT)
Sometimes the “net” that trips could be:
- An outdated vision
- A strategy that once worked but no longer serves us
- Definitions that were fruitful in the past, but the Holy Spirit has moved on [1]
It’s a reminder that the old ways won’t carry us into a new season.
And God says, “I want to give you a fresh vision for this season.
Don’t settle for less than all I have for you.”
3. Partnering and Serving God Beyond
Sometimes we experience empty-net syndrome: weary, tired, discouraged, even disillusioned.
We’re ashore, cleaning nets that didn’t bring in a catch.
Even good news feels unrealistic.
Yet here, Jesus meets us.
For some, Jesus is calling us aside first:
- To be with Him
- To listen
- And to let Him show us what He is doing in this season
Then He calls us beyond, to join Him and to take part in what He is doing now.
And we can trust Him
because He is faithful.
I love to say, “Obedience is simply joining the Father in what He is doing now.”
This kind of obedience is not duty, but delight.
It is participation.
We are partnering with God in our relationship with Him.
And here is the tipping point:
The “more” lies on the other side of obedience.
Faith stirs us to move.
And when we do, we step into His appointed harvest.
God has set a time frame—and that time is now.
To step beyond our restrictions and to step into His promise.
The River Leads to Full Nets
This vision drew me back to the River of Life, in Ezekiel 47.
“There will be a very great multitude of fish, because these waters go there; for they will be healed, and everything will live wherever the river goes.”
(Ezekiel 47:9b, NKJV)
“Everything will live wherever the river goes.”
But what astonished me was Ezekiel 47:10:
“Fishermen will stand by it…and there will be a great many fish.”
This is extraordinary: The River of Life leads to full nets.
- The move of the Holy Spirit.
And amid nets stretched to breaking, Jesus said to Simon,
“Don’t be afraid! From now on you’ll be fishing for people!”
(Luke 5:10b, NLT)
From the empty nets of Luke 5, to the boiling waters of fish in my encounter with Jesus, and to the multitude of fish along Ezekiel’s riverbanks:
I realize God is showing us something.
The Tipping Point
Many are standing at the end of the year, sensing a tipping point.
And the Holy Spirit is breathing a fresh invitation:
“Come beyond. There is more.”
Do You Have the Gift of Discernment?
I’m excited to let you know my new course on discernment is now live!
And I’d love you to join me.
If today’s message on discernment stirred something in you,
Then this is your invitation to go deeper.
Many with the gift of discernment feel deeply but lack clarity or confidence in what to do next.
- You may be affected by spiritual atmospheres or sense things beyond the natural, yet struggle to interpret or respond to them.
I understand, because I’ve been there.
That’s why I created my new online course, Unlocking the Gift of Discernment.
This course is full of encouragement, practical insights, and prophetic clarity for those who want to grow in discernment with confidence.
- Learn how to recognize and interpret what you’re sensing
- Grow in discernment that is biblical, life-giving, and joy-filled
- Be empowered to partner with the Holy Spirit without fear or confusion
This course is fully self-paced, with lifetime access.
Explore the course here:» Unlocking the Gift of Discernment
Use this coupon code: DISCERN20 to receive 20% off before 14th January
Notes
[1] Inspired by thoughts from my post, “Prophetic Insight: It’s Time to Enter the Miracle Zone.”
Leave a Comment
I’d love to know which of these insights you identify with at this time. The second one (step beyond) is speaking to me! Please feel free to share your thoughts and prayer requests in the comments below.
Related Posts:
- River of Life: How to Release God’s Abundant Power
- River of Life: 6 Biblical Insights About the River of Life
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© 2025 Helen Calder, Enliven Blog
Enliven Ministries: Prophetic ministry for a revival generation
Helen Calder is a prophetic minister and writer, and founder of Enliven Ministries. Helen has a unique gift of equipping in prophetic ministry and prayer. She is known for Enliven Blog (est. 2009), an online resource that reaches thousands of people globally.
It has been 13 years since my dearest Terrence migrated to Heaven and has taken me 9 whole year to walk through the grieving process ans now slowly learn how to fit into my new role. I have been saved on Nov 22, 1984 we have had little high and many lows but I had my Terrence to walk along with, now am still learning to track with my Heavenly Bridegroom. God has given us emotion and tears for a reason, I find it very disturbing some people put a date in grieving and we are expected to smile and be JOYFUL. That is why I much preferred to be by myself. Thank you for allowing us to speak from the heart.
How true that is, Nita, that the seasons of our soul are unique to each one of us and are precious to God. May you know the Spirit’s infilling and refreshing. Also for your role, may it be time of the filling of the nets.
Hello ma’am, I’m in awe of GOD, in this moment I’m lost for words bc to use the word conformation seems inadequate. I ran through my house, cried etc…. what GOD is doing in my life is Absolutely Amazing. Thank you for this Prophetic word.
Oh, how glorious is our God, Summer!
This is so wonderful to hear.
Good morning. Please could you recommend a church in Melbourne for my sister to attend. She has moved from South Africa. Thank you.
Hi mummy Helen you are doing a great job of God, I love the topic of, keys to enter the God,’s appointed time of harvest, and may you please pray for me to have a prophetic anointing and the the spirit of descernment, you have really given us a wonderful message, God bless you so much.