Tag: John 21

Let Us Find Our Rest in Thee

OLD TESTAMENT: Malachi 3-4

POETRY: Psalm 150

NEW TESTAMENT: John 21:15-25

Our bodies were designed to rest. It is a precedent set by the Heavenly Father on the seventh day and continued through the Law on the Sabbath. Whether it is sleep, a cup of coffee at work, or a walk between sets, taking a break gives us refreshment, repair, and a chance to catch our breath. Without this all-important pause, our bodies and minds suffer, leading to exhaustion, reduced cognitive function, and weakened resilience. But like all things, even our rest must be found in Jesus Christ.

In today’s reading, Peter has emerged not only from a day of hard labor but easily his most tumultuous season of life. He took up arms for Jesus, denied Him, went into hiding, grieved, and then saw his Risen Savior. Now, a moment to rest presents itself with a warm meal, a fire, and friends. Jesus seizes this restful moment to restore and recenter Peter. Rest and relaxation do not always go hand-in-hand.  A volley of questions and the allusion to a martyr’s death may seem more stressful than restful, but Peter receives His commission in a fireside chat—not in the labor of picking up loaves and fishes or walking on water. We need time to unpack the hard things away from the hard labor so our weary, heavy-laden souls can respond to the kindling of Christ’s call.

One of the most important elements of this rest is stillness. Unfortunately, distraction, coping, or physical stillness alone is incomplete when compared to God’s command of stilling oneself. Many times, we choose spiritual brain rot to fill our thoughts, keeping our minds occupied and leaving no vacancy for our Heavenly Father to speak. Today, in the repeated reading of Psalm 150, we have an opportunity to be still in the words and to meditate upon them. Just as sleep provides an opportunity for our brain to repair—removing waste, mitigating damage, regulating our mood, and increasing immune activity—meditation upon the words of God doesn’t ignore life’s challenges. Instead, it reframes our circumstances within the glory of God, offering many of the same benefits.

Finally, in God’s rest, there is peace—which is like rest, but sustainable alongside the most dire of circumstances, experienced by His treasured, faithful remnant. In the chaos of Judah and Israel’s departure from God, there is still a promise that our Heavenly Father will send His messenger to prepare the way for the Lord – and he did.  Now, we are now the messengers who battle with our own time and culture. Because we too have been filled with the Holy Spirit, we receive one of its many gifts, a peace that passes understanding. We can stand as the harbinger for the return of Christ in the unfair, the overwhelming, and the disastrous, because these things run parallel to our peace. Thank you, God, for standing as a defense and a mighty tower, so we can retreat into Your promises and find our rest in the arms of Jesus Christ.

-Aaron Winner

Reflection Questions

  1. How do you give your body rest? What can you do to improve in this area?
    How do you give your mind rest? What can you do to improve in this area?
  2. How can you/do you find rest in Scripture?
  3. If Jesus met you on the beach after one of your biggest failures what questions and directions do you think he would have for you?
  4. How can you tend/feed/shepherd Jesus’ sheep?

BE WATCHING FOR ANOTHER POST/EMAIL TO COME LATER TODAY WITH THE 2025 SeekGrowLove BIBLE READING PLAN! One little teaser word: chronological. Thank you for reading in 2024! May we continue to Seek Him, Grow in our faith, and Love the Almighty God, His Son, His people and His word – more and more!

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From Our Fears and Sins Release Us

OLD TESTAMENT: Malachi 2

POETRY: Psalm 150

NEW TESTAMENT: John 21:1-14

“Each of us shoulder an invisible backpack,” I recently heard this statement during a professional development session about trauma-informed practices for students. While the idea of carrying emotional baggage is not new, the thought that this load is often imperceptible to others—visible only to the one who bears it—has lingered with me. As we consider our own baggage, the persisting heaviness of personal sin, trauma, and fear becomes clear, especially when these burdens are held within. If we choose to bear this weight alone, it can become a crushing load. In a prayer, a plea, and the prompting of a promise, I encourage each of us to begin unpacking the deepest and darkest longings and aches of our hearts, asking for release from our fears and sins.

In the second chapter of Malachi the Lord continues to call out Israel’s priests for persistently violating His law and covenant with the tribe of Levi. Two important takeaways emerge from this passage. First, no one is above submitting to Christ – or in their case, the law- and leaning on Him to carry their burdens. Second, choosing the perpetual path of personal sin wearies the ears of God. An unrepentant heart leads to the removal of protection and blessing, leaving us despised, humiliated, and metaphorically (or even literally) covered in our own filth. While we may not feel ready to announce our shortcomings to the world, we can no longer justify our sin or allow ourselves to call what is evil, good.

Psalm 150 reminds us (and speaking to myself here, mostly) that picking up an instrument means momentarily setting down the fears we carry. As stated yesterday, when we offer worship to the Lord, we reconnect with Almighty God. Praise is not merely a response to blessings but a declaration of trust in His sovereignty and goodness. I think of Joseph, Paul, and Silas, all of whom used worship to transform their injustices into testimonies (Gen 40; Acts 16). What we carry may be truly terrible and meant for evil, but with praise to our Heavenly Father, our overwhelming emotions can become a weaponized testimony that God uses to free others from similar circumstances.

Finally, in our New Testament reading, we see Jesus transform fear and failure into fruitfulness. After a night of empty nets in the Sea of Galilee, Jesus directs His disciples to cast their nets on the other side of the boat, resulting in an abundant catch. Onshore, Jesus awaits them with a prepared meal, inviting them into His provision and rest. When our doubts and frustrations run high—when we find ourselves spinning our wheels without results—we must seek the voice of the greatest Fisher of men. Only He can tell us where to cast our nets. Without His guidance, we labor in vain. Moreover, Jesus not only encourages but nourishes, reminding us that if He calls us to a task, He will also provide for it.

Carrying the weight of fear and sin is paralyzing. We will never feel adequate, and we will remain distant from God if we leave these burdens unaddressed. Ironically, when we unpack and expose these things to the Light, we receive freedom and restoration through Jesus Christ. As we reflect on the year that has passed, this is the invitation: begin digging through your invisible backpack, identifying the objects that hold you captive. Turn your failures and frailty over to Jesus, allowing Him to shoulder your burdens with the payment of His blood. Trust that His Father is faithful and forgiving, ready to release you from the weight you carry and restore you to the lightness of His yoke.

-Aaron Winner

Reflection Quesions

  1. What do you carry in your backpack? What has been the result of carrying it? What would it look like to start unpacking it?
  2. Pray for direction on where and how to cast your nets. Where and when have you previously had the most success fishing for men? What might the Greatest Fisher of Men be asking you to do next?
  3. How has worship brought you closer to God? How can you worship Him better today? What will you worship Him for?
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Feed My Sheep

Theme Week – Peter: John 21

Old Testament: Ezra 9 & 10

Poetry: Psalm 17

Peter has experienced so much with Jesus that it is difficult to wrap our minds around everything. Miracles, explanations of the Kingdom, who God is, how to live, even being resurrected to life are some of the actions and ideas that God accomplished and conveyed through His Son. Peter took it all in. Peter was undergoing a transformation through his relationship with Jesus.

Peter knew and stated that Jesus was the Messiah (the Christ), the Son of the Living God. (Matthew 16:16) This idea was revealed to him by God, but Peter stumbled when Jesus was on trial. He was terrified and rightly so. He saw the cruelty, the brutality released on Jesus so he denied him three times.

On the shore that morning, Jesus wants Peter to understand that he forgives him. After a miraculous catch of fish and eating a fish and bread breakfast, Jesus asks Peter if he loves him more than these?  “Yes, Lord,” he said, “you know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Feed my lambs.” Again Jesus said, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” He answered, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Take care of my sheep.” The third time he said to him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” This time Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, “Do you love me?” Peter said, “Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Feed my sheep.”

Jesus is direct with Peter. He will express his love for Jesus by feeding, by taking care of his sheep. Of course, Jesus had taught them that his followers were his sheep. At that time, we were the ones that had not yet entered the sheep pen by the gate. But Praise God that Peter showed his love for Christ. He truly Followed Jesus. He became brave speaking to the crowds about believing and being baptized into Jesus. We are encouraged and challenged by what Peter said and did. He did feed the followers of Jesus then and we are still receiving that food and care today through the scriptures. Along with Peter, we have the chance to feed and care for the followers of Christ. We will faithfully follow the plan that God sets for our lives. We will follow Jesus Christ.

-Rebecca Dauksas

Reflection Questions

  1. Do you love Jesus (even if you have failed him before)?
  2. What job do you think Jesus has for you to do for him? How will you do it?
  3. Will you follow Jesus? How?
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Epilogue of John

John 21

John 21 17 b

The twenty first chapter of the Gospel of John is a fascinating chapter.

Far be it from me to correct the story-telling ability of the author, but why end here? It feels like the story was wrapped up with a nice bow when the author wrote the words we looked at yesterday. Then, almost as if the author forgot a couple stories, he tags on these last couple bits. My fascination with the narration, however, does not diminish what it teaches. Of course, there is both an author and an Author, and so much is given to us in this last chapter.

What I want to focus in on, though, is what happens with Peter? Peter, Peter, Peter. He walks on water, but he doubts. He asks Jesus to wash his whole body when he only needs his feet taken care of. He says “I’ll die for you” but denies him three times. What are we gonna do with Peter?

Of course, you and I are JUST LIKE Peter.

I’ve denied Jesus.

Haven’t you?

I had my doubts after a huge moment of success, when I “walked on water.”

Haven’t you?

I put my foot so far in my mouth my toe tickled by tonsils.

Haven’t you?

So the question is not, “What are we gonna do with Peter?” The question is, “What is Jesus gonna do with Peter?” because that will let us know what Jesus is gonna do with us.

And the answer is exciting.

He makes us better.

He finds Peter and the other disciples fishing, and after helping them perform a miracle, Peter swims to shore. While ashore, Jesus asks Peter, “Do you love me?”

Every time, Peter says “Yes!”

And Jesus responds with “Feed my lambs.” “Shepherd my sheep.” “Feed my sheep.”

When a person fails to live up to the standard Jesus sets, Jesus forgives and works with us. We look at one of the most flawed characters in the New Testament and see, time and again, his failures, his misunderstandings, his sins. But because Peter trusted Jesus and wanted to follow him, Jesus doesn’t give up on Peter. Jesus lets him know that he will be with him, even in the difficult days ahead. He gives him the power and ability to lead, and Peter becomes one of the leaders in the church. He expands the mission of the church beyond Jews and to the Gentiles. He trains other Pastors/Shepherds in how to care for the people of God. (See 1 Peter 5.)

The next time you wonder “Am I useless? What can God do with me?” look to the life of Peter. Take encouragement in the beautiful truth that, if we trust and love Jesus, or even WANT to trust and love him, he will not let us go. He will fight for us, care for us, and ultimately, he will change us into the kind of person God wants us to be.

-Jake Ballard