Look for Jesus Back Home 

Have you ever been to a bonfire and hours after leaving the fire you could still smell the smoke on your clothes? Or heard a song that reminds you of a specific memory? We’ve all experienced something like that, where what we’re experiencing in the present reminds us of something from our past.

Peter likely had a moment like this that’s captured in John 21:4-9. In this passage Peter leapt from his boat so he could quickly swim to Jesus, who was on the shore. This happened soon after Jesus was brutally killed but then came back to life! There on the shore with Jesus was a charcoal fire, and it’s possible that even though Peter likely felt excited to see Jesus, the smell of that charcoal fire reminded him of what he did the last time he was at a charcoal fire, when he denied knowing Jesus.

Peter was one of Jesus’ closest friends, but while Jesus was on trial to be crucified, Peter denied even knowing Him. Even if the smell of the fire wasn’t still on his clothes, the weight of denying his best friend and Savior was probably still on his mind. But Peter still couldn’t help but swim hard toward Jesus so he could be close to him. 

Maybe this week at Bible & Beach you decided to surrender your life to Christ and have been made new. That’s the best decision you could ever make! But know that even if you’ve been redeemed, you’ll still encounter some “charcoal fire moments” that are a painful reminder of your past sins and mistakes. Don’t let them stop you from still passionately pursuing Jesus. He wants to forgive and redeem you so that you can have a new life in Him. Today, look for Jesus.