Today’s Encouragement is John 21:3 (NLT) 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 all night.
I’m going fishing –
Jesus had been killed. He later appeared to his disciples behind locked doors and ate with them, showed them the scars. And sometime after these amazing days, Peter says, “Think I’ll just go fishing.”
It kinda sounds like Peter was saying, “Well, this has been fun fellas, but it’s over, Jesus is gone, we’re all just sitting around here looking at each other, asking ourselves ‘what’s next?’ So, I’m going back to what I know, where I can make a living again, and that’s fishing!” Was he giving up?
Peter’s plan didn’t go too well. Notice that they caught nothing all night; nothing at all… until someone (Jesus) shouted from the shore, “Try the other side of the boat!” and then there was a net-busting catch!
After three years with Jesus, Peter was quitting, or maybe he was just discouraged, or didn’t know what to do. But remember Jesus talked with him after breakfast, and asked him, “Peter do you love me?” and Peter said, ‘You know I do Lord,” and Jesus replied… “Feed my sheep.” Sounds like Jesus was saying, “Peter, you’re not to go back to fishing, you are going to feed my sheep.’ No scolding, no punishment, just loving correction.
Father, although we are tempted at times to give up on serving You, to give up on following Your way, and just go our own way… You never give up on us… and for Your steadfastness, we are grateful. Thank you for gently correcting us, and for patiently loving us. You are a loving Father to us.
You never give up on me
Josh Bates
Today’s Encouragement 