Tonight, as I was reading the Word, the Lord showed me something that I never noticed before. I was reading in John 21. The chapter goes like this:
21 After these things Jesus showed Himself again to the disciples at the Sea of Tiberias, and in this way He showed Himself: 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 are going with you also.” They went out and immediately[a] got into the boat, and that night they caught nothing. 4 But when the morning had now come, Jesus stood on the shore; yet the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. 5 Then Jesus said to them, “Children, have you any food?”
They answered Him, “No.”
6 And He said to them, “Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some.” So they cast, and now they were not able to draw it in because of the multitude of fish.
7 Therefore that disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” Now when Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his outer garment (for he had removed it), and plunged into the sea. 8 But the other disciples came in the little boat (for they were not far from land, but about two hundred cubits), dragging the net with fish. 9 Then, as soon as they had come to land, they saw a fire of coals there, and fish laid on it, and bread. 10 Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish which you have just caught.”
11 Simon Peter went up and dragged the net to land, full of large fish, one hundred and fifty-three; and although there were so many, the net was not broken. 12 Jesus said to them, “Come and eat breakfast.” Yet none of the disciples dared ask Him, “Who are You?”—knowing that it was the Lord. 13 Jesus then came and took the bread and gave it to them, and likewise the fish.
As I read, the Holy Spirit pointed out these insights to me:
The disciples were busy in their own efforts (fishing) to provide for themselves and their families. They worked all night and caught nothing. They did not recognize Jesus on the shore. Then Jesus called out to them, asked if they had any food, and upon their negative response, instructed them to cast the net out again, and the haul of fish was so full and heavy and overflowing that the disciples had difficulty drawing it in.
Upon this miraculous provision, the “disciple that Jesus loved” (who we know to be John) immediately recognized that it was Jesus on the shoreline. He said, “It is the Lord!” Why?
It wasn’t just that they had a fantastic haul of fish. It was because John recognized the heart and love of Jesus. This passage shows us the love and generosity of our God. The Lord is generous. He is a provider; He meets our needs and He is not stingy about it. He did not supply the disciples with a small portion of fish just enough for that day, or even that morning. Instead, the net became so full of fish and weighed down - the Bible says it was "full of large fish, one hundred and fifty-three; and although there were so many, the net was not broken" - that the disciples had trouble bringing their haul to land!
4) When the disciples reached the shore, dragging their nets full of fish, the Lord Jesus had breakfast already cooking and waiting for them. What a tender display of love for the disciples! They had worked hard all night. They were probably tired, sore and hungry. They still had work to do with the nets they’d brought in. Yet they didn’t have to wait to cook a meal for themselves. Jesus had the table set and waiting for them.
This is heart of the God we belong to. The God Who is for us. He is the Lord of all Who loves us, looks after us, cares for us, heals us, and provides for us.
I also noticed how in that passage in John 21 that when Simon Peter realized it was the Lord, he jumped into the ocean to head toward Jesus. This made me think - who’s the first one we run to in the midst of whatever “ocean” we find ourselves in? Who do we run to when we have a need, problem or lack in our life? Do we run to Jesus? Or do we think He’s too busy for us? Do we think He doesn’t care? Have we given up because the trial we are going through has lasted too long? Don’t give up!
Wherever you are and whatever is going on in your life, let me remind you to look for Jesus. Keep your eyes on Him and keep heading toward Him. Recognize His love and generosity toward you. It doesn’t matter if you’ve let your eyes wander elsewhere for a while – just get them back on Jesus! He will not let you down. He will not let you sink beneath the waves. He will not let you go hungry. You are His precious child and He loves you.
Be blessed as you go into your day and know the Lord is with you wherever you go!
Edited by: IAMBLESSED103 at: 8/14/2014 (01:49)
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