It's the Lord!

Lately, I’ve been getting a lot better about reading my bible. I went through some interesting life experiences recently and it really opened my eyes to everything I was missing. It opened my eyes and helped me see the God that is desperately trying to catch my attention, you know, before I walk off a cliff.

This morning, I read from John 21. In this passage, Jesus has already risen from the dead and revealed Himself to the disciples, but strangely, they decide to go fishing.

It seems odd to me that after being in the presence in the Son of God after He rose from the grave, that the disciples would decide to go back to fishing (for many of them, their old way of life…read Luke 5:1-11). I simply don’t understand how you could return to life as the way it was after everything happened.

But then, I thought about this a little further for a second. Maybe, after everything that the disciples had been through, they were just looking for something familiar that they could hold onto. I imagine after the arrest, trial, crucifixion, burial, and resurrection that they were a little high strung.

I feel this way sometimes. Normally when I go through a tough life experience I try to do something I normally do to help keep my mind off it, rather then facing my problem and dealing with it.

But that’s not what I’m trying to get at it here. The story goes on. The disciples go fishing but they catch nothing. Then the next morning Jesus comes to the shore and asks if them if they caught anything (of course knowing that they didn’t). Sound familiar?

Just like before (again, see Luke 5), the disciples didn’t know it was Jesus. Jesus told them to let down their nets on the right side of the boat. If you’ve read Luke 5, you know what happens.

That’s when one of the disciples realizes it’s Jesus. He (presumably John) exclaims “It’s the Lord!” (John 21:7)

The part that follows I believe is one of the most beautiful moments in Scripture. Peter, upon hearing that the man on the beach is Jesus, hurls himself into the water and goes to swim ashore. (John 21:8)

Peter was so lovestruck for his Savior that he couldn’t wait for the boat to get to the shore so he could see Him. I think that’s amazing. I think it paints one of the most beautiful love stories in all of Scripture.

I think we should love like that. When He is revealed in our lives through circumstances or experiences or whatever, we should be so lovestruck to see Him that we forsake everything and run after Him.

In the Belly of a Fish

Most Christians know the story of Jonah. If you don’t, I would encourage you to read it for yourself. It’s a very interesting story. Over the past two sundays, the pastor at my church has been preaching from Jonah during the evening services. Last night, he preached from Jonah 2, where Jonah is sitting inside of the belly of a fish. He realizes that he cannot run away from God’s will and he cries out to God in repentance.

About a week ago I got to the point where I needed to be cast into the sea in order for me to wake up and realize everything that God has been trying to tell me. I felt just like Jonah. I was in despair. I felt broken, crushed, and destroyed, and it was at that point where I did the only thing I could possibly do:

I’ll called to Him for help. And he answered. Through my pastor I was given some deep insight into the meaning and depth of this passage of scripture, and I wanted to share some of it with you:

God used the fish swallowing Jonah for two reasons:

1. Jonah would have died out in the middle of the sea had the fish not swallowed Him. While the bible does not specify how far Jonah was from the shore, it’s fairly safe to assume that Jonah could not just swim back.
2. God wanted to catch Jonah’s attention and bring Jonah back to Him. Sometimes, God has to bring drastic changes into our lives in order to spur us to action.

He wasn’t the center of my life and He certainly wasn’t the center of the situation I was in previously. He needed to deliver me rather forcibly from where I was comfortable in order for me to turn to Him and rely on fully on Him. God used the fish to save me from myself, and to teach me a valuable lesson in a way that I would have nothing in the way clouding my attention to it.

I would encourage you to take a step back from life and see if there are situations in your life that is getting in the way of God trying to catch your attention. One could argue that if Jonah was following God’s will in the first place then the entire story would not have turned out the way it did.

The "Is that contestant on American Idol a Christian?" Scorecard

Authors Note: I offered to put a guest post from Jon Acuff over at Stuff Christians Like here up on the blog. Click the link in the post to see what its all about.

The “Is that contestant on American Idol a Christian? Scorecard”
96. They mention their parents aren’t watching the show because it’s on Fox = + 2 points
To add up your score with over a 130 other ideas on this scorecard, visit stuffchristianslike.net.