Now What?

Today is the Monday after Resurrection Day. We have gone through the Lenten season, typically a time of seeking God; we have gone through Holy Week and with remorse remembered Good Friday; finally we got to Resurrection Sunday – a time of celebration and joy! Jesus paid it all, we just have to receive! Glory!

Now here we are on Monday, the celebration is over and and we are back to the same old routine:

Peter told them, “I’m going fishing.” And they all replied, “We’ll go with you.” So they went out and fished through the night, but caught nothing. John 21:3 (TPT)

Just as it is with us on the day after, it was like that with the disciples. They had seen Jesus and it was confirmed that He was alive! Yet, all the hopes they had of an overthrow of Rome had not occurred. They were still dealing with the same living conditions. They had been itinerant evangelists for three years, now what? Peter figured, I’ve got to make a living, I might as well go back to fishing!

We are so like Peter. Under the power of the anointing we feel as if we are riding on clouds of glory! Nothing is impossible- God will always provide – we are on our way to some place great. Then, the anointing lifts, we no longer feel as if we can “fly’ – we are somewhat confused as to what the next step is. We may ponder a few minutes, but it doesn’t take long for reason to enter and say, “I might as well do what I know to do, after all the rent has to be paid”. What happened with the disciples however, they went back to their trade, doing what they knew; they worked on it all night long – and nothing happened. They caught no fish! Their trade was not even working for them.

God is so merciful. Little did they know that standing on the shore was their answer, for standing on the shore was Jesus!

⁴ But when the morning was now come, Jesus stood on the shore: but the disciples knew not that it was Jesus.

⁵ Then Jesus saith unto them, Children, have ye any meat? They answered him, No.

⁶ And he said unto them, Cast the net on the right side of the ship, and ye shall find. They cast therefore, and now they were not able to draw it for the multitude of fishes.

⁷ Therefore that disciple whom Jesus loved saith unto Peter, It is the Lord. Now when Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he girt his fisher’s coat unto him, (for he was naked,) and did cast himself into the sea.

⁸ And the other disciples came in a little ship; (for they were not far from land, but as it were two hundred cubits,) dragging the net with fishes. John 21:4-8 (TPT)

Jesus had their solution. They would learn as they grew that Jesus had their solution before they failed. We learn that too. sometimes failure helps us understand that we need to seek Jesus first – then act!

Maria