Discerning God’s Will and Knowing When It Is Time to Shift

John 21:3–6

3 Simon Peter said to them, “I am going fishing.” They said to him, “We will go with you.” They went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing.
4 Just as day was breaking, Jesus stood on the shore; yet the disciples did not know that it was Jesus.
5 Jesus said to them, “Children, do you have any fish?” They answered him, “No.”
6 He said to them, “Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some.” So they cast it, and now they were not able to haul it in, because of the quantity of fish.

7 That disciple whom Jesus loved therefore said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his outer garment, for he was stripped for work, and threw himself into the sea. 8 The other disciples came in the boat, dragging the net full of fish, for they were not far from the land, but about a hundred yards off.

9 When they got out on land, they saw a charcoal fire in place, with fish laid out on it, and bread. 10 Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish that you have just caught.” 11 So Simon Peter went aboard and hauled the net ashore, full of large fish, 153 of them. And although there were so many, the net was not torn. 12 Jesus said to them, “Come and have breakfast.” Now none of the disciples dared ask him, “Who are you?” They knew it was the Lord.

As I was reading in John 21 today, I saw something that gives insight into discerning times and seasons within God’s will. This is not exhaustive, nor should it be considered an A + B = C formula. But it does offer indicators that may help us recognize when God is shifting something in our lives.

Peter and the other disciples had been fishing all night and caught nothing. They were not lazy. They were not careless. They were persistent. Yet there was no fruit.

There are seasons like that.

You can be working hard, doing what you know to do, and still see no results. That doesn’t automatically mean you are out of God’s will. But it may mean something is shifting.

Jesus shows up “on the shore” and at “daybreak.” The night was ending. A new day was beginning. There were signs of transition all around them.

Sometimes, seasons end quietly. Sometimes the only indicator is that what once worked no longer produces the same fruit. That is when we have to listen carefully for God’s voice.

Notice where His voice came from. Not from inside the boat. Not from the circle of those working beside them. It came from the shore.

There are moments in your life when God will use someone who is not “in your boat” to speak perspective you cannot see because you are too close to the situation. That outside voice, when aligned with Scripture and the character of God, can help you discern a shift.

Jesus then gave a simple instruction: “Cast the net on the right side of the boat.”

He did not tell them to burn the boat. He did not tell them to abandon fishing. He told them to adjust their position.

Sometimes obedience does not require abandoning the calling. It requires changing the placement.

Their willingness to obey activated a new result. Same boat. Same lake. Same nets. Different side.

Another detail that stands out is that Jesus was already preparing breakfast. While they were empty-handed, He was not empty-handed. While their effort produced nothing, He was already working.

God was at work even when their work wasn’t working.

That matters.

We should not give up too quickly on what God has called us to do. But there are times when a season shifts and an assignment adjusts. Those are the moments when we must pay attention and recognize it may be time to “fish somewhere else.”

And when it truly is Him speaking, you will know.

They knew His voice.

Relationship makes discernment possible. The more you walk with Him, the clearer His voice becomes.

As a dad, my prayer for my kids is not just that they succeed, but that they recognize when God is shifting them. That they don’t cling to a night season when daybreak has already come. That they know His voice well enough to adjust without fear.

When it is time to shift, you will know. Not because it is loud. Not because it is dramatic. But because you know Him.