As I have been praying about and pondering my role as a mother, this devotional was sent out from African Enterprise. I was encouraged and give glory to God for His great timing in all things. I am so glad that Christ comes to me and does not address me as a failure (I can dish that out to myself well enough), but as His beloved and treasured child. I need to give more of this grace to my children each day, too.
Read and be blessed:
African Enterprise Devotional - "Any Fish?" by Festo Kivengere
The disciples had lost contact with the Man of Calvary, and that loss completely emptied the Resurrection for them, totally frustrating their every effort. They hadn't realized that, in their dark hours that night fishing, He had been with them. He had promised He was going to be with them, but they had forgotten this.
So they saw a Man standing on the beach, but they couldn't recognize Him. He was too distant. This was part of their problem. They had missed the fellowship, the intimacy with the Lord which gave meaning to their ministry, their theology and their experience.
When He is missed, then activities are just activities, dead routines.
He called to them, "Any fish, boys?" It was a Voice calling them back into relationship. He was not addressing them as failures, as people who had messed up their ministry. No, there is familiarity here. He is still at home with them, even in their failure.
I think, as evangelicals, we need to relearn the lessons of grace. Here was His grace meeting their failures, because that was exactly what they needed. They needed a new encounter, a fresh meeting - not with an angel -- but with a Man, One who understands.
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