Satan, the defeated foe, was still up to his old tricks doing what he knew the best- suffocating Peter with guilt from his past. With the ‘I’ve done it again, so its best not to get back’ thoughts dominating, fresh memories of broken dreams, the guilt of betraying innocent blood and the cock crowing still ringing in his ears, Peter rushes to the boat and picks up the oar and his fishing nets that he gave up when he had met Jesus.
Instead of simple repentance and returning back to the Lord, Peter is now sinking deeper and deeper into condemnation and self pity, trying to run away from his past.
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Back to Square One
How alike are we to Peter? How many times have we found ourselves at the same point from where we’ve started? Just when we seem to be enjoying a perfect communion with our Master, we find ourselves trapped in the great pressure of denying our Master right before His eyes!
And how often have we gone back to our past life filled with guilt and lies? How often and how long have we tried to complete ourselves with the emptiness of the world, only to return back to Jesus?
Time For a Fresh Start
It finally was morning. Peter and his friends rowed closer to the land. Thank God for the dawn. It gives us hope that there is no mess too powerful to hold us down and by His grace sooner or later we will receive our freedom.
Peter decides to go back to the land, and lo! he can see a known silhouette waiting for him. “It’s our Master,” John cries out! It was the Jesus himself, preparing breakfast for them on hot coals! As if saying “Son, its time for a fresh start” Wow, what a paradox!!!
Silhouette of Love Waiting For You
Friend, God wants to remind you that He’s been waiting for you all this while. It’s true that Peter saw Jesus in the morning, but God’s promise for you is that He will never leave you nor forsake you. That means Jesus was right there when Peter picked up the oar and his old nets, and was waiting patiently throughout the night to see Peter return to Him.
Jesus loves you so much. How much longer will you keep Him waiting? If only you could look through the dark night of your life, you will see this same silhouette, the silhouette of love waiting for you. He knows your heart, and what you have being through and still He loves you unconditionally.
Right from that time when you decided to go back to your sin; right from that instance when you decided to pick that old oar, your LOVE, our Master has been there, waiting for you!
And how did Peter respond? He did not wait for his ‘partners in crime’ to join him. The Bible says, Peter jumped into the water swam towards Jesus! If you truly love Him, you will not wait till your friends or the world decide to change, the change will start with you, as you take that leap of love!
Would you, like Peter, drop your old oar and take that leap of love towards the one who truly loves you?
