Get Out of the Boat

Jesus said to them, "Come and eat breakfast." Yet none of the disciples dared ask Him, "Who are You?" knowing that it was the Lord. - John 21:12

Do you ever find yourself wanting to ask a question when in reality you already know the answer? Jesus had already appeared to His disciples several times since His resurrection. But the disciples were still waiting for direction on how to go forward. So in the meantime, some of them decided to go fishing, their occupation before they followed Jesus. On this particular morning, as they were returning from their fishing, they looked up from their boat and saw a Man cooking breakfast on the shore. They did not need to ask who it was; they knew it was Jesus. I wonder if that moment punctuated their last fishing trip, as Peter jumped out of the boat to make his way towards Jesus. He did not have to ask Whowas waiting on him; he just knew.

At times in our Christian lives, we look back at those things we used to do. We may even question whether we should go fishing again. Maybe we keep going back to old ways and habits, even though we know we should have gotten out of that boat a long time ago. If Peter and John had not stopped fishing and had stayed with their boat, what all would they have missed? They left it the first time Jesus asked them when He said, "Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men." (Matthew 4:19) Now, they are leaving their boat for the final time, never to return to their former lives again. From this moment on, they would live and die for the message of the gospel of their Lord Jesus Christ.

Maybe today you need to look up from your boat. How far are you from the shore? You are never too far away from Jesus. If you look for Him, you will find Him. When you see that Person who seems familiar, you really do not need to ask who it is. Jesus is always with you, wanting to feed and comfort you. Maybe He is asking you to get out of the boat and come towards Him. Maybe He wants to make you “fishers of men.” Is it a “maybe” or a “definitely”? I think we all know the answer to that question too. Today is the day to stop asking and start knowing and get moving.

~Daily Disciples Devotional~