Out of Step with God

In John's Gospel, in chapter 21, we read, beginning in verse 1, After these things Jesus showed himself again to the disciples at the Sea of Tiberias, and on this wise showed he himself. Let me pause here, friends. Who is telling this story? It is the Lord's favorite, John.

John is relating to us an eyewitness account of what occurred that day over 2,000 years ago. So his words carry weight and meaning since he was there. He is relating to us what he has seen and heard in regard to the Lord Jesus.

Let us continue with our text, for he tells us who else was there that day. There were together Simon Peter and Thomas called Didymus, and Nathanael of Cana and Galilee, and the sons of Zebedee, and two other of his disciples. Simon Peter saith unto them, I go with fish, and they say unto him, but we also go with thee.

They went forth and entered into a ship immediately, and that night they caught nothing. I will pause there. We can see from our passage that we, like the disciples, can enter a season of nothing, where nothing is going our way and nothing is working out.

It can be a time of barrenness and dryness and lack of direction. It can also be a time of impatience and discouragement. You know that God has His promises in His Word to you, but those promises right now seem as just black print on a white page.

Everything seems like a dark night, and you've almost lost sight of the horizon. Your prayers fall to the ground like lead weights, and heaven itself seems as brass. Everything in your life is out of kilter, and you, instead of walking closely behind Jesus in a life of faith and obedience, you're off in the bushes somewhere, trying in vain to hack your way out.

Our text tells us that the disciples were laboring all night for fish, but they caught nothing. Seasoned fishermen, working hard, and they came up empty-handed. In verse 4 of our text, we catch a ray of sunshine.

But when morning was now come, Jesus stood on the shore. I will stop there. Something good will happen.

Something marvelous always occurs when Jesus shows up. Jesus stood on the shore. I wouldn't be surprised if He'd been there all the time, watching them in the night hours, observing their toils, their struggle, their labor.

But it is morning now. It's a new day. Jesus is now there, and things are going to get interesting.

He asks them if they caught anything during the night, and they tell Him no. He then gives them divine direction. Cast the net on the right side of the ship, and ye shall find.

He instructs them, for they'd been fishing on the wrong side of the boat. All the fish were in a large school on the other side. Maybe somehow we got on the wrong side of God and lost our way for a time.

It's been a season of nothing. Nothing good. Nothing great.

Certainly nothing extraordinary. But if we were brutally honest with ourselves, we would admit that one thing in the gloom is that after they enjoy a meal and some fellowship, Jesus looks at Peter and makes eye contact with him. The last time Jesus made eye contact with him was in a courtyard of denial, where Peter was warming himself by some coals and denying his Lord.

Now Peter's senses are aflame as he sits there, as the aroma of burning coal is again in his nostrils, and the penetrating eyes of Jesus are upon him and him alone. Jesus says to him, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these? Peter had boasted before in front of them all that he would die for Christ before denying him above any man, but he was the only one who denied him. Now Jesus tenderly asks of his loyalty.

Peter answers, Yea, Lord, thou knowest that I love thee. Go, Ham, when we enter a season of nothingness, where we are out of step with God by sin, we must come clean with God in heartfelt repentance and turn our focus back on him. For when Jesus stands on the shore of our life, it is a time of personal revival.

If this is your case, friend, will you say a prayer with me? Will you say with me, Lord, I've been off in the bushes, away from you in sin. I admit I can do nothing apart from you. I need you, Jesus.

I need you to stand on the shore of my life right now and speak peace to me. Restore me into a right relationship with you. Forgive me for sinning against you.

Forgive me for being away from you. You say in your word, Malachi, return to me, and I will return to you. Come into my life today, Lord Jesus, and touch me with your love and grace and make my life a burning flame for thee in a red-hot love relationship with thee.

In the strong name of Jesus, I pray these things. Amen.