What Is Going On Here?

"Simon Peter said, 'I am going fishing'....They caught nothing." (John 21:3)

"They caught nothing."  Our King Jesus "arranges" it so, i.e., when you and I are fishing in our own favorite spot, nothing there, empty, futile effort.  This does not just reveal our lives before we came to Jesus; it is an ongoing principle: Do life Jesus' Way or, "caught nothing."  So many keep fishing for what Jesus already has for us.  The Eternal Call is, "Come to Me."  If we do not respond to, "Come to Me," we will keep going back out on that empty lake, "caught nothing."  The Church needs to look at herself.  How much of our, "I am going fishing," has led to, "caught nothing."

The problem was that it seems as though Peter was in a sort of "go back" mode.  He had spent three years with Jesus, but the Word of Jesus had not taken root in him, or the others.  I can't say that they were "unbelievers," just perhaps confused Believers, you know, like so many of us at times.  There were times when, "then they remembered that these things were written about Him."  But it seems at other times, "they remembered...these things...," was replaced by the, "I am going fishing."

Most of us have responded to Jesus', "Come to Me...."  But we have realized that over the years there have been temptations to go back to that "familiar" fishing spot. What a glorious moment of grace and mercy when Jesus "calls" to us from the shore, "Children, have you any food?"  If our hearts are "right," we will look at that futile "fishing spot," and come ashore to Jesus' "Banqueting Table."

Father, in Jesus' Name, I see myself in this too many times in life.  Thank You that you keep asking me, "....Have you any food."  Amen.

When Peter, an 18 year old Norwegian, "heard the call to evangelize China, on that day he not only emptied his wallet into the collection plate, but included a small note with the words, 'and my life.'"

Hebrews 12:2