Is 54:1-4 (Message) Make your tents large. Spread out! Think big! Use plenty of rope, drive the tent pegs deep. You’re going to need lots of elbow room for your growing family. You’re going to take over whole nations; you’re going to resettle abandoned cities. Don’t be afraid–you’re not going to be embarrassed. Don’t hold back–you’re not going to come up short.

God said from the very beginning that we’re to be fruitful and multiply, but it can only happen if you keep on making room to grow, to be enlarged – whether as an organisation or an individual. Nobody can fill what it’s already filled.

I love that this scripture says we should not be afraid! Don’t hold back! Don’t let all our YESTERDAYS or our TODAYS keep us from all his TOMORROWS! Our growth is not determined by God’s willingness, it cannot be restrained because of God’s ability; it is ONLY constrained by our capacity for the opportunity.

A man was fishing but he kept throwing the big ones back. Someone watching from the shore asked why. “Because I only have a tiny frying pan!”

In recent years since I first heard it from Dr Tayo Adeyemi, I have made this prayer my own: God give me capacity for my opportunity! When God wants to do something great – he always expands the capacity, both to receive and to give.

In Luke 5: Jesus said, “let down your netS” – plural.

Peter said, “Because you say so, I will let down a NET” – singular. Sounds like he was being humble, actually he was being partially obedient. He didn’t do what he was commissioned to. We don’t honour God by shrinking back from faith. There was a miracle, and the net broke. The question has to be … how many fish would you have had Peter? If you had put out for more capacity.

In 2010 – the year of multiplication, Lord, Give me capacity for my opportunity!