Conclusion

It was noted in yesterday’s offering that Jesus had enabled His disciples to catch fish. He told them to bring some of their catch. How did He treat and regard the fruit of their obedience?

This is what He does not do.

He does not simply acknowledge their catch with complimentary, uplifting words, then He leaves it alone.

He does not say to them, good work, then tells them to make their own fire and roast some fish for them to eat.

He does not say to them, bring some of your fish and after I have cooked Mine, you can put yours to cook on My fire.

He does not say, come and bring your fish, but you will have to wait awhile for Me to complete My own preparations.

There is nothing of the sort, for this is never the kind of welcome our Risen Lord gives to us. Have you seen Jesus? Are you hearing Jesus? Are you feeding on His grace and mercy? Whatever you have been able to reap, to produce, to catch, to have, comes from our Lord and He will always recognize, respect and confirm the works of His Hands.  Jesus invites them to bring some of their produce, their fish, and they are placed on His fire, along with His already roasting fish.

Does this not speak of a holy, heavenly, uniting, partnership in working, which only comes from above? The produce of Jesus and the produce of His disciples are one and the same in His eyes, for they are placed together as one. 

Does the fire on the beach with fish on it, not remind you of a sort of sacrifice, an offering to God, as we read of in the Old Testament, especially? I’m referring to the kind, as we see with Abram, where animals were sacrificed in an offering to God, and God put the fire.  And it came to pass, when the sun went down and it was dark, that behold, there appeared a smoking oven and a burning torch that passed between those pieces. Genesis 15: 17. If faith would allow you to see it in this way, then you will see those most humbling and gracious works of Jesus with us. As the smoke goes up to God, it is going up as one sacred flame, where the Works of the Master and the works of His obedient servants, go up together in one smoke. Who can find words to describe this?

Additionally, isn’t Jesus showing that He and His servants are joint workers in the Kingdom of His Father? Has He not demonstrated that His works and those of His servants who obey Him, are one and the same? Has not our Master honoured His servants in ways most stupendously wonderful? All we seek to do is to be totally dead to all of self and fully alive to all of Him.

There is the welcome call, not to join Jesus for worship, to be taught, or even to be informed about our incorrect ways of working. The invitation is clear, precise and specific. Jesus said to them, Come and eat breakfast. John 21: 12a. So much is going on here, we fear that we cannot handle it all. We think that our puny brains cannot take it all in.

Holy Spirit, make us able and ready to feed on all that You have provided for us please. Amen! 

Servants are called by their Master to come and eat. They are not called to come and prepare the meal, as is the duty of servants, but they are called to come and eat. They are given already prepared food and all they have to do is sit and eat. This brings a most touching, loving scene back to mind. I refer to a lunch time scene with Boaz and Ruth. Ruth is a stranger, a foreigner in Boaz’s field and yet we see her, a mere gleaner sitting with the contracted workers, eating exactly what they and Boaz are eating. Now Boaz said to her at mealtime, Come here, and eat of the bread, and dip your piece of bread in the vinegar. So she sat beside the reapers, and he passed parched grain to her; and she ate and was satisfied, and kept some back. Ruth 2: 14

What a Welcoming God we serve!

In God’s Timing

We conclude, encouraged, assured, uplifted and fully satisfied that we are in our Lord’s Timing, Testing, Teaching and Thanksgiving. Wherever you are in God’s ordering, never doubt that He has brought you to this new life. He has freely done so in and through the Precious Blood of His Son Jesus, Saviour of sinners.  It is in this new life, when you know new birth in the Spirit that you will and must know this discipline of God. When you come into the land and have planted all kinds of trees for food, then you shall count their fruit as uncircumcised. Three years it shall be as uncircumcised to you. It shall not be eaten. Remember, God’s timing is calculated according to Him and not you.

However three years are counted out for you, you can rest assured in the knowledge that God never ever goes back on His Word. Be totally safe and secure in His Immutable Word. Just as there must be that time of forbiddingness, there must be a time of release and ease. But in the fourth year all its fruit shall be holy, a praise to the LORD. God will ensure you and all of His obedient, following people have a most wonderful time of worship with Him and in Him. It is He who makes all things holy unto Him. What a year of giving and offering all to God! What a time of worshipping God, from whom all things come.

The promise of God is unmovable. You will enjoy the fruit of your labours. You will be able to eat the fruit which He has given. And in the fifth year you may eat its fruit, that it may yield to you its increase: I am the LORD your God.  Your harvest will not be meagre by any means. You will have a harvest of plenty and without fear or restrictions, you will be able to eat freely. As there is yield, so will you enjoy increase. Believe God! Accept His Word in spite of how you feel, what you think and what your carnal eyes see. Let faith keep you looking to God and following Him. Your labours are not in vain. God will give you fruit that you can eat and enjoy.