Goodness

John 21:^3&6 “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… Then he said, “Throw out your net on the right-hand side of the boat, and you’ll get some…”

It is important to see Peter’s clout in today’s scripture reference. It is what Peter wants to do that everyone else wants to do. If Peter wants to play football, everyone wants to play. If Peter is playing golf, everybody is playing. If Peter is fishing, everyone is fishing. Peter was a natural leader. Jesus told them that they would testify of Him and they were supposed to wait for the Holy Spirit. So, why do you think Peter led them back to fishing? Did you do your homework? Even though Jesus had appeared to them, they still felt purposeless because they were not doing anything. Peter took the initiative and said, ‘Let’s go fishing; we have families to feed and we still have bills to pay. We cannot just be sitting here doing nothing.’ Peter did the responsible thing which is, ‘Let’s go and work so that we can take care of our bills.’

Please read John 21:4-6. This passage shows us what is known as the second miraculous catch. The word ‘Fellows’ in this passage means ‘children’. If you read scriptures in context, Jesus expected that the disciples would wait for the Holy Spirit then become fishers of men. Which is what He had told them from the beginning, “I will make you fishers of men”. But at this time, these men abandoned the purpose, the mission, and went fishing for fish. Imagine a mother tells her children to sweep and clean their rooms before she gets back from the office. However, the children decide to play a little and then clean the rooms just before their mother returns. We all know that that play never ends and eventually their mother returns and finds their rooms just the way she left them. If she is an African mother, they will literally face the music. Things will just be landing on their faces from left and right.

Interestingly, Jesus saw the disciples fishing and He knew that they had caught nothing. He could easily have said to them, ‘I told you there was no future for you in fishing!’ Jesus could have, ‘Your efforts will be fruitless without doing what I have called you to do.’ He could have rubbed it in their faces. But Jesus said, ‘Throw your nets on your right-hand side and catch fish’, and the catch was huge. What does that tell you about Jesus? It was not the first time Jesus was doing this same thing for this Peter and his friends, the sons of Zebedee. It was the second time; He was showing them kindness, giving them more than they deserve. These men deserved to be chewed [rebuked]. But what they worked for all night and did not get, Jesus gave them on a platter. People erroneously think that God wants them to fail. God does not need your failure to prove that He is God or to make you do His will. God will make you successful, and then call you to do His will. A lot of people feel because they have failed at everything, then ministry is next. If you are a failure at everything please do not do ministry, please do not!

Prayer: Father, You are indeed good and Your mercy endures forever. Thank You for not treating me as I truly deserve, thank You for having mercy on me, in Jesus Name. Amen!