Category: Devotion of the Day

Morning After

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

After a night of fruitless fishing-it had happened before (Lk. 5:5)-the disciples did not recognize the risen Lord upon the shore. How much of our labor is in van because it is our own poor little expedition (see verse 3)! But our labor is not in vain when it is in the Lord.

There is a beautiful progression in this story. John recognizes the stranger. “It is the Lord!” Peter immediately leaps into the water and heads for shore. He has denied his Lord and had been out of fellowship, but when he heard Jesus was on the shore, he went toward Him, not from Him.

Jesus invited them to a prepared meal, and they knew it was the Lord. He becomes real to all who accept His invitation and take what He offers.

Has it been a fisherman’s failure with you? Has your little venture come to nought? See the Lord upon the shore. Heed His instruction, and a night of defeat will give way to a morning of delight.

“All To Him I Owe”

Ye are bought with a price.
I Corinthians 6:20

We are not our own, we have been redeemed. But while we sing “Jesus Paid It All” let us remember the next line, “All To Him I Owe.” Certain Divine requirements grow out of our being bought with a price. Such love demands my soul, my life, my all. We are to glorify God in body and spirit-our selves-because we belong to Him (I Cor. 6:19, 20). We are to glorify Him in our service: “Ye are bought with a price; be not ye the servants of men” (I Cor. 7:23). And Peter tells us that since we have redeemed with the precious blood of Christ, we are to pass the time of our sojourning here in fear (I Pt. 1:17-21).

Self, service, sojourning-all to Him I owe, because He paid it all. While we sing about the price that He paid, we had better check on what God expects for us, not to repay Him, but as the expression of our heart=s love to Him who redeemed us.