Where's the Meat?
Today’s Verse:
Then Jesus saith unto them, Children, have ye any meat? They answered him, No. ~John 21:5
One of the hardest things for us to deal with in our lives is when God shows us that we lack maturity in our decisions, judgment, and work. We don’t like being told that we are immature. This morning, seven of Jesus’ choicest men received a vital and timely lesson on what real maturity is all about when it comes to doing the work of the Lord.
We see a dismal failure.
“Simon Peter saith unto them, I go a fishing. They say unto him, We also go with thee. They went forth, and entered into a ship immediately; and that night they caught nothing.” Peter made the rash and unwise decision to abandon the ministry and to return to what he thought he could succeed in best: fishing. He and the other six took his fishing boat, set sail, and rowed out to a familiar location on the Sea of Galilee where they assumed that they would have a good night of fishing. They assumed that they would succeed in their ability. They fished all evening, but they caught nothing. As the sun was rising the next morning, a voice shouted out, asking them if they had any meat. Did they have anything to show for the night of labor? Did they catch any fish? Did they have any meat? Dejectedly, they said, “No.” Seven experienced fishermen had a night of failure. Failure is when we do not succeed and when we face the reality that we are losers. These men failed in what they thought they could succeed in.
We see a dependent faith.
“And he said unto them, Cast the net on the right side of the ship, and ye shall find.” At first, they did not recognize that the One speaking to them was the Lord Jesus. However, their acknowledgement of failure made them desire an opportunity to redeem themselves. Jesus commanded them to cast the net on the right side. This was a moment of déjà vu. Three years before on the same lake, they went through a similar experience. Without questioning the wisdom of the One telling them what to do, they placed their faith in His command and promise. A dependent faith is accepting what God tells us and doing it. Faith in the absence of obedience is a dead faith. Faith must always be accompanied with obedience. Jesus said, “Cast the net on the right side of the ship, and ye shall find.” When God says it, just believe it!
We see a dynamic fruition.
“They cast therefore, and now they were not able to draw it for the multitude of fishes.” As soon as the net was cast into the water, a large number of fish was caught! Consider how massive this catch was. “they were not able to draw it.” They were “dragging the net with fishes.” The net was “full of great fishes, an hundred and fifty and three.” What a display of God’s power in their lives. A night of failure was replaced with an instance of fruitful fishing. When we have faith in God and do His work in His way, God blesses us only as He can. God’s power can only work when we are in complete submission to His Word, His power, and His working.
We see a decisive fact.
It was John who cried out, “It is the Lord”! When they realized that the success of the moment was the Lord at work in their failure, there was a revival on that boat. Those men were thinking, “How foolish for us to think that we could do this without the Lord.” Beloved, it is the Lord Who makes the difference in everything. There is no ministry success without the Lord. On our own, there is no meat to show for our efforts. With Christ, there is more than we can imagine.
Have a fruitful God Morning!
Bible Reading Schedule: Matthew 20-21