In The Word
Read: John 21:1-14
Jesus Appears at the Sea of Galilee
21 After these things Jesus revealed Himself again to the disciples at the Sea of Tiberias, and He revealed Himself in this way: 2 Simon Peter, Thomas who was called Didymus, Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two others of His disciples were together. 3 Simon Peter *said to them, “I am going fishing.” They *said to him, “We are also coming with you.” They went out and got into the boat; and that night they caught nothing.
4 But when the day was now breaking, Jesus stood on the beach; yet the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. 5 So Jesus *said to them, “Children, you do not have any fish to eat, do you?” They answered Him, “No.” 6 And He said to them, “Cast the net on the right-hand side of the boat, and you will find the fish.” So they cast it, and then they were not able to haul it in because of the great quantity of fish. 7 Therefore that disciple whom Jesus loved *said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” So when Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his outer garment (for he was stripped for work), and threw himself into the sea. 8 But the other disciples came in the little boat, for they were not far from the land, but about two hundred cubits away, dragging the net full of fish.
9 So when they got out on the land, they *saw a charcoal fire already made and fish placed on it, and bread. 10 Jesus *said to them, “Bring some of the fish which you have now caught.” 11 So Simon Peter went up and hauled the net to land, full of large fish, 153; and although there were so many, the net was not torn.
Jesus Provides
12 Jesus *said to them, “Come and have breakfast.” None of the disciples ventured to inquire of Him, “Who are You?” knowing that it was the Lord. 13 Jesus *came and *took the bread and *gave it to them, and the fish likewise. 14 This was now the third time that Jesus revealed Himself to the disciples, after He was raised from the dead.
New American Standard Bible (NASB) Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation
Walking In The Word
Peter takes some of the guys fishing; after all, he was a professional fisherman. They had just went through a major ordeal and were taking some rest and relaxation. However, the fishing trip was not going very well. They had fished all night without catching any fish. That made for a long night, and they were probably pretty tired. Then a man on the bank called these rough men “children,” and instructed them that He knew they had caught nothing. He said, “Cast the net on the right hand side of the boat and you will find a catch.” They obeyed, and the net became full of fish. It was only then that they recognized it was Yeshua; not by how He looked, but by what He had done.
We can try many things in life that take up our time and energy only to leave us with an empty net. However, if we ask for God’s help, He can turn a long empty wait into a very productive moment that does not take up a lot of time. It brings back to my remembrance what Yeshua said, “Apart from Me you can do nothing, but in Me you will bear much fruit. Your joy will be full and our Father will be glorified (John 15:1-11).”
So, how can we recognize Yeshua in the things we are doing in our lives? We can recognize Him by hearing and obeying His voice as children, and then seeing the undeniable hand of God at work for us. If you are tired of having empty nets, humbly ask for God’s help, and cast your nets on the “right” side.