A Renewed Life: "Being called back to shore"
John 21:3 “Simon Peter said, “I’m going fishing.” “We’ll come too,” they all said. So they went out in the boat, but they caught nothing.”
This scripture has completely taken hold of me this morning. Here are the disciples and it seems as if things haven’t panned out. They had pledged their allegiance to Jesus and it doesn’t seem to be all they thought it was. So they find themselves going back where they started from, fishing. As Peter says, “I’m going fishing,” Peter is saying, “I’m going back to what I was before; I’m going back to life before Jesus; life with Jesus was not what I expected and now I might as well go back to what I know.” Peter and the rest go back to fishing and when they get there they find complete emptiness, nothingness. But yet, Jesus steps in to their lives again and makes something out of nothing and then calls them to a life that is bigger then themselves. Jesus steps in and they realize that although it didn’t turn out the way they thought that Jesus had something in mind beyond their wildest dreams and now it was their turn to pick up the mantle and continue the mission of God.
So often we find ourselves just like Peter and the disciples in this scripture. We have an encounter with Jesus and our lives are seemingly changed but then the feeling wears off and when our idea of what it means to follow Jesus turns out to be something different from Jesus’ idea we go back to “fishing”….go back to what we knew before Jesus. And when we get there we find a nothingness that leaves us empty and unfulfilled. But yet, in Jesus’ divine mercy He meets us in that nothingness and calls us back to shore to get a glimpse of the life He intends for us to live. He makes sure we love Him and then calls us to a life beyond our dreams to continue His mission in the world.
Jesus, you know that I love you. Jesus, I love you. Jesus, you know that I love you. Jesus, I will feed your sheep; I will care for your lambs; I will hold them in my hands. Thank you for this word this morning. Thank you for calling me back to the shore and reminding me what my life is about. Give me the grace to stay on task and focused upon continuing your mission in the world. Use me Lord as your instrument and protect me from the temptation to go back to “fishing” but may my heart, mind, and soul stay focused upon giving you glory and continuing your redemptive mission in the world. Amen!
Jesus calls me out of the boat and into the mission of loving the world to heaven.
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