fishing lessons

1 After this Jesus revealed himself again to the disciples by the Sea of Tiberias, and he revealed himself in this way. 2 Simon Peter, Thomas (called the Twin), Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two others of his disciples were together. 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. John 21:1-6

There are a number of times in your life when you desperately need a fresh touch from the Lord. That's the situation where Jesus' disciples found themselves (John 21). Peter said to them, “I am going fishing.” They said to him, “We will go with you.” But that night they caught nothing (v.3).

Days before, the disciples had watched Jesus die. And even though they had seen the resurrected Jesus, they were still confused, unaware of their mission, and feeling abandoned. They were without the Savior, who had been everything to them, and also without the Holy Spirit, who had been promised to take his place. They were in-between.

So there they were, sitting around and asking themselves, “What are we gonna do now?” John 21:3 tells us that Peter decided to go fishing. And so, they went back to their familiar territory and caught nothing and learned nothing—until Jesus met them on the shore the next morning.

Too often the first thing we do when we feel desperate is to look for a quick fix. We say, “I don't have to take this. I'll quit my job.” “If God won't do anything, I'll do it myself.” “If God won't heal this relationship, I'll end it.” And off we go in our own strength to get things done.

But all the effort we extend to fix our family or resolve some crisis will not yield much. The Lord wants so much to hear us say, “Forgive me, Lord. I thought I was right, but now I see I was just looking for an out. It wasn't me and you, Lord; it was just about me.”

Whether we know it or not, that's a good place to be. God is always ready to reveal to a humble heart the futility of effort apart from him. That same Savior who stood on that shore in John 21 is asking you, “Are you ready to give me this thing that troubles you? Can we work on this together? Let's start today.” —James MacDonald walkintheword.com

seeking: Father, how have I experienced your love for me in a fresh way? What have you revealed in my heart?

responding: Have I sought an easy out for this problem I'm facing? • What will happen if I keep operating in my own strength? • How can I experience true victory in this situation?

Yes, Lord. I'll do what you say without question. I'll come to you as soon as possible. I'm willing to do this in your strength. Please show me how.

following: Your efforts to fix a problem are futile apart from Jesus.

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