peace . love . joy

'After these things Jesus manifested Himself again to the disciples at the Sea of Tiberias, and He manifested Himself in this way. Simon Peter, and Thomas called Didymus, and Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, and the sons of Zebedee, and two others of His disciples were together. Simon Peter said to them, "I am going fishing." They said to him, "We will also come with you." They went out and got into the boat; and that night they caught nothing.'
~ John 21:1-3

Three years ago, Jesus appeared to Simon Peter, his brother Andrew, and the sons of Zebedee, James and John, on the shores of the Sea of Galilee. "Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men", said He. And the Bible says immediately, they left their nets, their boats, their father, and followed Him. They left everything the world tells them they need in order to physically live at the instruction of a stranger they have never set eyes upon and followed Him.

Embarking on a journey none would have dreamt of in their wildest imaginations, they touched Jesus, heard Jesus, ate with Jesus, conversed with Jesus, walked with Jesus, the one they called the Messiah, the one they called the Son of David, the one they called Emmanuel. They've witnessed countless miracles, far more than the number recorded the the Bible, they've witnessed countless conversions to the faith, they've witnessed countless powerful yet gentle, mind-boggling yet simple exhortations and lessons and parables of the Truth. They've even fought over who's to sit at Jesus' right hand!

And yet three years later, at the death of their Rabbi, Simon Peter says "I'm going out to fish." Their nets were once more empty. One cannot help but imagine how it is a reflection of their hearts and souls. Empty. As though the past three years living with the Christ had never happened. Here they were, in a wooden boat riding stagnant on the calm waves of a sea, attempting to fish, but in vain. Back to where they started.

What is your life like, Christian?

Are you back to where you've started as though those moments, seconds, minutes, hours, days, weeks, months, years with Jehovah-Eloheenu, the Lord our God, had never happened?

Where are you?