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Hello, my ‘Walking with Jesus’ friends,
I wonder what you do or where you go when you need some PEACE for your troubled SOUL, and some QUIET for deeper REFLECTION? Over the years, in each place Jesus has led my wife and me to live and serve Him, we’ve sought for and found such a place. What stories do you have about God meeting you in your “Peace” & “Quiet” place? Could we call that a ‘soul refresh’ place?
In the weeks following that Passover/Easter weekend of TRAUMA for the disciples and close friends of Jesus, I imagine they frequently needed their place of peace and quiet. Can we even begin to imagine what their troubled souls were experiencing? How often did people stop them in the marketplace or even knock on their doors with questions about Jesus? Do people sometimes bring you very complex life questions?
The Gospels tell us that for several of the disciples that special ‘soul refresh’ place was out on the Sea of Galilee fishing, especially at night. John closes his Gospel account of Jesus with one of those times which happened in the weeks after the resurrection of Jesus.
John 21 tells us Peter said, “I’m going out to fish…”. (John 21:1-3) I don’t know if Peter was hoping for silence and solitude, but his brother Andrew, John, James, Thomas, Nathanel and one other disciple all joined in! Suddenly Peter’s plan for a quiet night of fishing became a group expedition!
Depending on your reason for night fishing, it can be wonderfully peaceful or very frustrating. By early morning these seven experienced Galilee fishermen had caught nothing, and they began to make their way back to shore, I’m, sure discouraged. Suddenly a voice pierced the early morning stillness… “Haven’t you any fish?” (John 21:4,5) Straining their eyes, the men could see a lone figure standing on the shore. Their answer was simple and perhaps embarrassingly truthful, “NO”. Unexpectedly the voice responded with a bold suggestion: “Throw your net on the right side of the boat and you will find some.” (John 21:6)
There are times I wish the Bible had more details for us about certain topics or events. Other times I’m glad we don’t have more information, and this is one of those times. Weary, empty handed, disappointed fishermen can be ornery, and I would imagine some emotions may have flared up in that boat in response to that question and suggestion coming from the shoreline!
Eventually wisdom prevailed and these weary fishermen did throw out their nets and John writes: “When they did, they were unable to haul the net in because of such a large number of fish!” (John 21:6) It should not be difficult for us to put ourselves in that exciting scene that early morning. Frantically 6 men tried to haul in this huge catch!
One of the fishermen, John, however, was far more fascinated by that lone figure on the shoreline than the biggest catch of fish he’d ever seen. What had just happened here? How did that voice know about the school of fish under their boat and where were all those fish all night long? John leaned over the side of the boat staring at that person on the shoreline, while I imagine Peter shouted instructing John to help them pull in the nets. How often does that happen to you and me in our busy world?
How easily are you and I distracted by the exciting, the sensational, the unusual or the unexpected? Honestly now, how does God get your attention, especially if your soul is troubled or traumatized? And how well have you developed your ability to discern what Almighty God is saying to you in any situation?
Finally, John spoke, never turning his gaze away from the figure on the shoreline to look at the net full of fish: “It is the Lord!” (John 21:7) Did John whisper it at first or shout it? Did he repeat it several times, with greater confidence each time? How do you and I respond when we are having an encounter with God? It’s very interesting how John records this moment in history: “Then the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, ‘It is the Lord!’. As soon as Simon Peter heard him say ‘It is the Lord,’ Peter wrapped his outer garment around him…and jumped into the water.” (John 21:7)
Look at them… 5 guys still wrestling with a net full of flapping fish; one guy peering over the side of the boat focused on the figure standing on the shoreline, and one guy, fully clothed, struggling to swim ashore!
Now let’s apply that picture to your life and mine, my friends. In the frantic situations of life, where are you and I in the picture? Focused on the tasks at hand; the voice that caused the miracle; or frantically swimming to the miracle working voice? Why?
We need to pause right here and ask ourselves some important life questions…
* In the busyness of life, what distracts us from our priorities, our core values, our commitments?
* Where is your ‘soul refresh’ place? How do you receive the wise counsel or healing comfort or guiding voice of God?
* When facing an unexpected event, especially one that draws a crowd, what is your normal response?
* How have you shared the stories of your great God experiences with your kids and grandkids, your friends and how has their understanding of God expanded in response to your God stories?
* Finally, back into the story on Lake Galilee: what do you think was happening, deep in the soul of each man in that moment?
Don’t rush past those questions my friends, invite God to speak, and tomorrow we’ll come back here to see what happened and why it’s so important for us today. And here’s a great worship song that helps us listen to what God is saying to us right now…
Today’s Scripture: John 21:1-7.
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Bible images provided with attribution to www.LumoProject.com.
Have a comment or question about today’s chapter? I’m ready to hear from you, contact me here.
Pastor Doug Anderson
“Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1,2)
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