Simone Peter said to them, "I am going fishing!" They said to him, "And we are coming with you!" So they went out and got into the boat [Simon Peter, Thomas, Nathanael, John, his brother James and 2 other disciples], and throughout that night....they caught nothing. John 21:3 So off they went.
They came in after working hard, all night long, tired and empty handed. And there was Jesus, standing on the shore, waiting for them. And as is often the case with us, they didn't recognize Him at first.
Jesus knew exactly how they felt, what they had been doing the night before. He knows us so well. Our circumstances, our challenges, our bent. He calls out to them, "Hey guys, have you caught anything?" Like He didn't know?! They answer no. One can imagine the despondency they felt as the man on the shore asked them the obvious.
Still not recognized, Jesus tells them to throw the net out again...and precisely where to throw it. He promises them they will find fish this time. Of course He knows where the fish are; He knows the names of the stars and how many hairs are on our head. He is God.
Their catch was overwhelming. They connect the dots and recognize Jesus. They come ashore and see Jesus had breakfast waiting. It was time to do serious business with His disciples. They didn't know it but they weren't going to go back to the fisherman's life, the life they knew. They were about to become the first of many generations of men and women whose lives were all about representing the Resurrected Saviour to our lost and hurting world. He had work for them to do. The mission Jesus began was to continue through His beloved disciples, His followers. This was the plan. We are the plan.
Around the campfire, over a warm meal, He tells them they are to tend to His sheep. They were to be about the business of God's Kingdom. I'm pretty sure this was news to them.
Ephesians 2:10 says, For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. As believers, we can expect our lives to be rearranged by the Lord, as He has His own plans for us. Sometimes we aren't sure what to do. The future can seem vague or confusing as we attempt to live into new ways. I am so thankful for God's patience with me as I struggle to understand the way He wants me to go, where to cast my net. I am also in awe of how He seems to break through the messiness of life and accomplish His ways, in spite of us, as He leads and guides us.
Lord, help me to recognize and carry out the plans You have for me. I want to come to You so You can tell me where to cast my net and not spend hours in fruitless search. Thank You for Your tenderness towards me when I go back to the old familiar ways of living. Thank you for leading and guiding me to the meal that awaits me, fire burning, all ready to go. And mostly I am in complete awe that You are here with me so I don't have to eat alone.
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