Influencers Weekly Devotional

The Lord Provides by

Bryan Craig

“Early in the morning, Jesus stood on the shore, but the disciples did not realize that it was Jesus. He called out to them, ‘Friends, haven’t you any fish?’ ‘No,’ they answered. He said, ‘Throw your net on the right side of the boat and you will find some.’ When they did, they were unable to haul the net in because of the large number of fish. Then the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, ‘It is the Lord!’ As soon as Simon Peter heard him say, ‘It is the Lord,’ he wrapped his outer garment around him and jumped into the water. The other disciples followed in the boat, towing the net full of fish, for they were not far from the shore, about a hundred yards. When they landed, they saw a fire of burning coals there with fish on it, and some bread. Jesus said to them, ‘Bring some of the fish you have just caught.’ Simon Peter climbed aboard and dragged the net ashore. It was full of large fish, 153, but even with so many the net was not torn. Jesus said to them, ‘Come and have breakfast.’” John 21:4-12

This fabulous story captivated me the other day. It spoke a truth to me that God has been speaking through more than one source. In the beginning of Jesus’ walk with these men, He told them He would make them “fishers of men”. He had greater things in store for them than just fishing for a living. He had significant, eternal plans in which they would play a part. Now, they find themselves, after Jesus’ death and resurrection, a little lost and confused. They go back to what is comfortable. They go back to a more predictable life. With Jesus gone, life may be less than miraculous, so they think. In one final lesson, He teaches them. He regains their focus and guides them to a miraculous catch of fish. Their eyes are, once again, opened up to the limitless possibilities of God. Then, after He provides for them more fish than they’ve ever imagined catching at once, He asks them to bring some of the fish to share with Him. This is interesting to me because the text says that Jesus already had some fish on the fire, along with some bread. And then, He says the words that really touch my heart, “Come and have breakfast.” Breakfast with Jesus- what a beautiful picture that is to me! I don’t know if you are like me, but sometimes in this Christian life, I feel like I’ve been fishing all night long, without catching a thing. I get discouraged, depressed and I begin to think the fishing trip was a bad idea. At first, I was hopeful. I was excited about this adventure of faith, and I couldn’t wait to see how God might use me in His purposes. I thought I was a pretty good fisherman- so good, perhaps, that the fish might just jump into the boat. However, life seems to humble us at times to remind us that we might not be as great as we think we are. However, Jesus is always nearby watching us. He’s even calling out to us. If we will let him get our attention, He will tell us what to do. He will do miracles in our midst. He will provide for us in ways that we never imagined. Then, He will want to spend some time with us, feasting and sharing the harvest of His provision together. How often do we try to do life without Jesus and fail? As a matter of fact, many times we even try to do work for God without Jesus. Steve McVey, in his book, “Grace Walk”, talks about the great lessons to be learned in the story of Mary and Martha in Luke 10:40-42: Martha was stressed out while Mary was resting. People for whom Christian living is strictly service-oriented often get impatient with those whose level of measurable activity is not as intense. Luke says that Martha was “distracted.” Distracted from what? From Jesus! What was it that caused her attention to be distracted from Jesus? You got it- serving Him! It was a startling revelation in my own life when the Holy Spirit showed me that I had become more preoccupied with the work of the ministry than with the One who called me to it. Busyness in serving Christ can block intimacy with Him. Guys, we are wired for performance. Whether it be competing on the athletic field, fixing things around the house, becoming financially independent, organizing events, stockpiling awards- you name it- we men want to DO something. We want to be significant. Even for those of us who have decided to follow Jesus, it is easy to measure ourselves against others. What we discover is that without a personal, abiding relationship with Jesus Christ, first and foremost, all our activity will turn into weariness, emptiness and fruitlessness. However, if we go on this Journey of life WITH Christ, He will provide. Abraham knew God so intimately that when He asked him to sacrifice his son, Isaac, he obeyed without question. He trusted God completely with his life and his son’s life. He told Isaac, “God Himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.”Genesis 22:9 Sure enough, God had a ram waiting in the thicket. God provides! He provided Abraham with the promised son, and He provided a sacrifice for that son, so that he didn’t have to die. Men, I hope you get this. The Lord Provides! He knows what you need right now. Whether it be in your family, your work, your finances, your health, your ministry, He sees you out there, struggling to do it on your own. He’s calling out to you. He’s got something for you to do which will help Him answer your prayers. He’s waiting for you to listen so He can bless you. He can’t wait for all this to happen so you will recognize that it was Him. He can’t wait for you to jump out of the boat, like Peter, and come and have breakfast with Him. Download file