“I’m going out to fish,” Simon Peter told them, and they said, “We’ll go with you.”

John 21:3 (NIV)

All of us come from somewhere. Whether or not your past is a place that you’d like to return to it is still your past. I’ve often wondered why people stay in difficult situations. I’ve had a never give up or surrender attitude most of my life. A certain stubbornness that has believed that everything could be fixed, no matter how broken it was. I’m not sure why I have had this attitude but I can say that it’s kept me in some situations longer than what was required. What I’ve realized is those difficult situations can become something we consider “normal” despite how twisted they may be. Because we fear that which we do not know, we cling to what we do know.

If you’re a Christian then I know that God has delivered you from something. The question is, have you accepted the deliverance that Christ has given you, and moved on, or are you keeping a door open to that thing?

After having seen that Jesus has been resurrected Peter, “Thomas called Didymus, Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two other disciples” went fishing (John 21:2-3). We know that Peter, Andrew, and the sons of Zebedee were fishermen before they were called by Jesus and there’s nothing inherently wrong with going fishing. I wonder why Peter went fishing after all that he had seen and experienced?

We have short memories. Although we might be walking in victory we have a tendency to dwell on our most recent failures. Our failures often hold more weight than all of our success. Even though Peter had just seen that Jesus was resurrected I wonder what else was going through his mind? Surely, he hadn’t forgotten denying Jesus three times. I think that Peter had a lot on his mind, and denying Jesus was just one of those things, which is why he went fishing.

There are many reasons why people like to go fishing. I like that it’s quiet and I can think. If it’s not quiet then you’re not likely to be catching fish. When Peter decided to go fishing I think that he wanted to do something “normal” after three years of following Jesus in a life that had been full of the supernatural. I also think that one thing that he might have been thinking about was a promise that Jesus had made to him, “Don’t be afraid! From now on you’ll be fishing for people!” (Luke 5:10 NLT)

After fishing, talking, and thinking all night with the other disciples they catch nothing. Just like the first time they meet Jesus, they are told by Him to cast the net onto the other side of the boat to catch some fish. I find it interesting that no one realized who the man was from shore telling them to “try again.” However, once they caught the fish, John’s eyes were opened and he knew it was Jesus who had thus commanded them to cast their net onto the other side (John 20:4-7).

When Peter and the other disciples went fishing I think that Peter might have been thinking about returning to his old life. Yes, Jesus had been raised from the dead, but He also had gone off to where the disciples couldn’t follow (John 8:21). How was the ministry that Jesus started going to continue with Him gone?

There are times when we fall and we think that we can’t get back up. We naturally think about everything that led to our fall and more than anything, we fear that, if we get back up, that we might fall again. The pain of falling is so great that we want to return to something that we know. To a time when we knew what to expect.

Peter’s response to John’s declaration “It is the Lord!” fills me with joy and heartache, “As soon as Simon Peter heard him say, ‘It is the Lord,’ he wrapped his outer garment around him (for he had taken it off) and jumped into the water” (John 21:7 NIV). The desperation to return to the Lord, to be near Him, is what I see in Peter’s actions. I believe that Peter felt so distant from Jesus that, when he saw Him once more, his only thought was to be near Him again.

My friends, regardless of what you’ve done or what you’re going through, I want you to remember nothing can separate you from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:39). You may feel far from Him but He’s not far from you. Right now, today, His arms are open wide and He wants you to know that He loves you.

Do you know God? God knows you and He loves you. He sees you as significant because you are. No one is insignificant to Him. He’s with you today, right now, and He wants you to know Him. Jesus died for your sins and mine so that we could be free of guilt, be freed from death, and live eternally with Him. Eternal salvation is just a prayer away.

Pray this prayer with me to accept the gift of salvation today:

Dear Lord Jesus, I know that I am a sinner, and I ask for Your forgiveness. I believe You died for my sins and rose from the dead. I turn from my sins and invite You to come into my heart and life. I want to trust and follow You as my Lord and Savior. Amen.

If you prayed that prayer then congratulations! You are on the first step of a brand new life. Allow me to be the first to welcome you to my family, the family of God. There are abundant resources available online for new Christians. You can visit here for more information on what to do next. You can also leave me a comment and I’ll do my best to help you on the next step of this incredible journey.

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