..

...."O Where

............is your Victory?" [1 Corinthians 15:55.]

.....** Living daily in Resurrection Life! **

>> "I go a fishing" <<

Jesus had already appeared to the disciples with full powerful proof of his resurrection, and yet Peter is distracted and amused, with the familiar and ordinary: He says, "I go a fishing" [John 21:3]

What proved to be needed in Peter's life was "God go" not "I go"!

At the beginning of the human race God deliberately confused human communications because mankind with one voice said "Go to, let us" [Gen. 11:3.] How blessed we are when we "let go and let God"; when we let the Lord in on our desires and ambitions.

>> The "Go" that goes nowhere. <<

What a great emptiness Peter and the group experienced at sea. "That night they caught nothing". [John 21:3.]

How much we can exercise our spiritual "get up and go", with perseverance, and yet like the disciples come up with "nothing".

We may have good ideas and good intentions and even have given our very life; but if it isn't The Lord Jesus Christ and his resurrection power then we will be walking a dying path with nothing "caught" for eternity.

>> When all fails Jesus is there! <<

"But when the morning was now come, Jesus stood on the shore: but the disciples knew not that it was Jesus" [John 21:4.]

How wonderful that he never leaves us nor forsakes us. [Hebrews 13:6.] And yet, even though that may be the case there was no fruit till the hapless boat crew were under the direction and power of resurrection Life!

Their fishing trip took on eternal combustion when Jesus came into the equation. Knowing Jesus in our forward moves opens up our tiny earthly fishing pond to the great catches of Heavens largeness and glory.

>> Barreness and honest confession. <<

Jesus called out from the shore: "Children, have you any meat? They answered him, "no." [John 21:5.]

Jesus said in another place: "Labour not for the meat which perisheth but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting Life which the son of man shall give unto you for him hath God the Father sealed" [John 6:27.]

The Father has sealed up all of eternity's riches and values in Christ so that whatever we open up to him, he (and he alone) can fill with precious blessings of unsearchable and eternal value [Ephesians 3:8.]

>> Under new management. <<

Under new management they cast in the same miserable spot but on the right side of the boat, and now the haul of fishes was so great they couldn't pull it in! The spot didn't change but the catch did. Jesus promised they would find, and they did!

In total, man is incomplete. It doesn't matter whoever it is, he or she can fall apart completely. Jesus knew how to raise a disintegrated man and put him back together.
He did that for Lazarus. This same resurrection life is in us!

>> "It is the Lord". <<

Peter's whole scheme disintegrated that night. He wasn't tuned in, but John was. Then Peter was totally engrossed in the catch but John put two and two together and recognised that it could only be the Lord, who could do such a thing and fill a losers cup to overflowing!

Outside the powerful resurrection life of the Lord we lose much and come up with a big nothing. When Jesus is Lord and ALL is TOTALLY for HIM, then look out, the BIG Catch is coming in!

>> Press toward the mark. <<

What great goodness was just realised by Peter and so he "cast himself into the sea"; No waiting to land the boat. Launch off towards the Lord; hasn't he been good to you?

Don't hesitate to cast all that you are to Him. He can also fill your boat! even though (like Peter) you might not have sought the Lord about your present boat trip. Jesus was still there for Peter to show that only the Lord can fill the emptiness that we are and the empty ways that we take.

>> "Bring the fish you have now caught". <<

All fishing expeditions without resurrection life come up with nothing except old worn out shoes, broken bits and seaweed: but after resurrection upon their futility, Jesus said, "Bring the fish which you have now caught." [John 21:10.]

The Lord has a great 'NOW' reserved for us: he did for Abraham, Joseph and Moses and also has the same for each one of us. Are we ready for the Resurrection 'Now'? The Lord's 'Now' is blessing replacing self works and emptiness.

"Great fishes", and not emptiness is the catch, when Jesus is Lord of every expedition in life!

>> Great fishes! <<

We are promised that "his greatness is unsearchable" [Psalm 145:3.] Peter and the crew experienced the astounding and glorious ease with which this man (who said... "follow me and I will make you to become fishers of men") established WITH them the greatest catch Peter had ever seen!

They were truly in rest mode when this GREAT school of fish hit the nets and then they became labourers together with Him. [1 Cor. 3:9.] and "abounding in the Work of the Lord" [1 Cor. 15:58.]

>> The net did not break! <<

We do not know the condition of the nets. Perhaps the nets were not capable of coping with such a haul because there was such a surprise that the nets didn't break! Our inabilities and infirmities can provide the Lord with a manifestation of his power, and we can like Paul ... "Glory in our infirmities that the power of Christ may rest upon us".

The Lord can only use weak nets! Only Resurrection life can sustain us in His blessing. "God has chosen the weak things to confound those things which are mighty." [1 Cor. 1:27.]

>> "Come and dine". <<

Peter not only caught the biggest catch he ever caught but also experienced the tastiest fish he had ever eaten! 

"Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us, therefore let us keep the feast" [1 Cor. 5:7-8.] This feast was a resurrection feast, a spiritual feast. "O taste and see that the Lord is Good" [Ps. 34:8.]

Come "forth" as Lazarus did at the call of the Lord, from any lingering death of self, into a renewed experience of resurrection Life. Then is the big "catch" of his loving purposes and blessing upon, and through you for his Glory.
Grant Hayman.

God Bless.