153 FISHES!
03rd Dec 2014
So why did Peter count the fishes? He seemed so excited when he discovered that it was Jesus on the beach cooking breakfast, and yet he stopped on the shore to count the fish! Was he stalling for time, having so recently denied three times that he knew Him?
When we have messed up and know that we have grieved Jesus by our actions and words, it can be very hard to come back into His presence and fellowship with Him. We fear rejection and feel we deserve a rebuke. This is the ploy of the devil, whose constant aim is to sever the connection we have with God.
Once the fish had been counted, he probably selected the best of the catch to make a contribution to the meal the Jesus was cooking for them all, perhaps it was a kind of ‘peace offering.’ So what happened? Did Jesus rebuke him? Did Jesus tell Peter how disappointed he was to be abandoned at His moment of great need? No!
Jesus said, “Simon son of John, do you truly love me?” His greatest desire is always to restore relationship. He longs to be in fellowship with each of us. He wants to hear our voice speaking to Him, worshipping Him, and He wants to speak to us and encourage us, and tell us of His love for us.
Jesus then spoke to Peter about his future, he told him that he would live to become an old man and that the most important thing he could do was to follow Him. When we come back to Jesus in repentance, He will always restore our relationship and speak about our destiny.
John 6:37 says, “All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away.”
James 4:8 says, “Come near to God and he will come near to you.”
If you have distanced yourself from Jesus, stop counting fish, and run into His arms of love.
by Charles Sibthorpe
