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What Could God Be Up Too?
In John 21 is where we find Jesus encountering the disciples who have been trying to catch fish. This is right after Jesus has risen from the dead and this is the third time he’s going to appear to the disciples. Now imagine how they must be feeling. Just the fact where they’ve gone from watching Jesus, their close confident and leader be beaten and crucified, and then come back from the grave. Imagine all their emotions… trying to figure everything out, but imagine all the emotions of Peter. Here he is going to encounter Jesus again, but I wonder what sort of emotions he must be feeling? Here he got to see all these amazing things unfold in following Jesus, and then Jesus is crucified and its one things to watch the pain of their loved one being beaten and killed, its another thing to process him coming back to life? Remember, they never really understood all that Jesus was trying to prepare them for. But during this time I often remember Peter because of the denial Peter chose when they were taking Jesus away. It was Peter who denied knowing Jesus, it was Peter that said he would never do such a thing, only to turn around and fall under the pressure. He must be on an emotional rollercoaster of sorts, happy to have his beloved leader back; yet having a haunting sort of feeling of wondering how Jesus might respond to him? Was he feeling any guilt and confusion? Would Jesus be angry with him, and forgive his betrayal?
Yet Jesus doesn’t hesitate, he still goes to Peter and the others and again to make a point that He has not forsaken them. He knew how they would handle his death and resurrection, and he also knew what he was going to entrust to them.
I believe were in a time again in the body of Christ where things are changing. God’s always moving, always doing things in so many different ways, yet the question remains is what is God up to? Just as the disciples must have felt like maybe this whole walk with Jesus was over in many ways, yet Jesus was going to make another appearance to show and remind them they have not been forgotten and they’re still on His team.
This last week I was remembering babies when they are in the womb. I’m not sure why, but it feels like another season of birth. Everywhere I look I see many women that are pregnant. You know seasons likes that where it feels like it cant be coincidence as it seems everywhere you go, you see the same thing? That’s what its been like for me in seeing pregnant women. But just think about a woman that is carrying a child. For nine months the baby gets the nourishment they need from the mommy. It’s the safest place for the baby to give the baby everything it needs in order to survive. That baby has to stay inside of the womb so its protected until it has what it needs in order to live outside of the safety of the womb.
However, if the baby stays longer in the place of safety—the womb—and doesn’t go through the transition—then the place of safety can become toxic and can in fact become a tomb. No matter what we walk through there are seasons where God wants to birth something, yet it doesn’t happen unless there is transition. And transition is one of the hardest and most painful times- yet with out it, you don’t get the baby. You don’t get the gift of the new life-, which is often what babies represent—new life.
Just as Peter and the disciples here are going to walk in what Jesus was doing now; but they were going to have to trust him yet again. They have been in transition. They must be wondering what in the world was going to happen next? Yet they were going to have to put their faith and hope in what Jesus is going to tell them to do. Here the night before Peter leads the way to go fishing once again. A trade they know well. Yet they catch nothing.
So Jesus appears and says, “Have you caught anything?” to which they reply, “No.” So Jesus says, “Well then cast your net from the right side of the boat.” Now here they are going to have to make a choice. Here they’ve gone through much transition, they have walked through some painful things, yet in order to have the blessing that Jesus wants to expend to them, they are going to listen to his words and do what He says.
Remember, they know what they’re doing. Fishing is their craft. It’s how many of them made a living for years, yet the way they’ve always done things is no longer working. So the question is, ‘will they be able to do what Jesus is asking of them now?’ will they trust Him? Will they take the risk?
It’s a new way, but will they obey? Jesus didn’t say they would have lots of fish if they did what he said, he just told them to do it. It was in the obedience that the blessing came. What I’ve found is that we can try things and work really hard at what we know to have worked in the past, only to find out those ways are no longer bearing the fruit they once did.
Will we continue to do things as usual, or will we trust in the words of Jesus, even if were hurting and even if we don’t understand. The question is will we lay those things down we can do really well in order to hear the words that he is speaking to us today.
Too many people want to quit in transition. Mostly because its too painful or too discouraging. However without the pain of transition, we don’t get the gift of what’s to come.
In your own life, do you have enough room for God to speak? Is their room for him to tell you what he wants you to do now? Maybe its different than what he’s done in the past, but is their room in your life to be flexible to what He might be saying today?
This is not a time to give up; this is a time to persevere. This is a time that even if we haven’t caught fish so to speak or seen a lot of great things that we continue to press onward. Remember, great fulfillment usually comes after great frustration. The plans of Jesus usually play out different than what we think, but in the end what He’s looking for is our trust. Will we trust him with everything? Will we be willing to be moveable in what He wants and desires to do in our lives?
Those are certainly good question’s to ask ourselves. Remember, Jesus could have just thrown a bunch of fish upon the shore, but he wanted the disciples to do it for themselves. He loves it when we co-labor with him. Jesus has not forsaken you, nor has he forsaken the plans he has for your life. Sometimes, I just need to remind myself this. Look at what happens in the story. Once they cast their nets the way Jesus instructed, they caught too many fish where they could barely drag them in.
He always gives us more than we deserve. He is our great provision in every way, but he desire to not only provide, but to bless. Provision is having enough and blessing is having more than enough.
God is definitely up to something; it’s just a matter as to whether or not we will trust Him yet again. Will we be able to hear and will we be able to obey? To hear and to obey is what opens the floodgates of tremendous goodness and blessing!