10 Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish you have just caught.” 11 So Simon Peter climbed back into the boat and dragged the net ashore. It was full of large fish, 153, but even with so many the net was not torn.
John 21:10-11
We are continuing with John 21 and the prophetic insights it holds for the times we are in. I invite you to refer back to the previous posts to get the most out of this one.
The Strength of 10 Men
Jesus invites them to bring some of their catch to join him by the fire. I love how extra Peter is in this moment. The operating word that Jesus uses is “some fish” and yet Peter decides that he must with his own bare hands, drag an entire net of fish to the shore to where Jesus is. You have to love Peter.
Math wasn’t my favorite class in school but firing up the calculator, at 153 fish at an average of 3 pounds each equals roughly 459 pounds. That’s some major strength demonstrated by a man that just a few hours earlier was fishing with no clothes on in the pit of depression.
Moving Through Pain
The advice many give us when we are going through a dark season is to keep on going in spite of what you feel. Someone puts a hand on our shoulder and offers something along the lines of “we move from glory to glory but boy, it’s hell in the hallway.”
This is only part of the equation to getting through a broken season. The other part of this puzzle is knowing who you are moving through the brokenness to get to. Your “WHY” behind moving past your pain is not to bring the pain to an end, it is meant to lead you towards the ONE that seeks to bring you wholeness.
Sometimes we think we are moving past our pain when we are really just avoiding the brokenness until the pain passes.
Strength to Pursue Jesus in the Midst of Brokenness
Paul, second only to Judas, was the disciple that was in the toughest spot. He had denied Jesus three times and everyone knew it. He was wrapped in shame and in a tremendous amount of pain. However when he hears Jesus beckoning them to come eat with him, the boats cannot get him to shore fast enough so he jumps out hauling a massive amount of fish with him.
Paul was endowed with supernatural strength (over 400 lbs of fish in a net all of which were most likely swimming and flailing frantically to get away. Think about the scene from the movie Nemo of all the fish swimming together to break the net) in his pursuit to get to Jesus.
Hear What Jesus is Saying and Receive an Impartation of Power
You might be feeling more aware of your shortcoming and brokenness now than ever before. I encourage you that it is especially in a season like this that Jesus’ voice is closer to you than ever before and He wants to share with you things that beckon you closer to Him. Not just for relationship but also because in that point of connection, there is tremendous healing, above and beyond just an ending the pain you might be feeling. There is also an impartation of strength for you to run to where His voice beckons to encounter Him. You aren’t to do this on your own, you aren’t to trudge and claw and scratch uphill to get to Him. He isn’t cruel, He isn’t a tyrant, He is a loving savior that wants to bring you freedom.
In Jesus’ name I declare that today, it is Your heart Lord, to make your voice known to your people. I ask you to speak to them so clearly that it will be unmistakable that it is you calling them through.
Right now, raise your hands up and declare that you are receiving that fresh impartation of strength to run to Him. Now RUN!!!!