A Week of HopeSample

The Call That Can’t Be Shaken

Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish you have just caught.” 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. Jesus said to them, “Come and have breakfast.” -- John 21:10-12 (NIV)

The last time Peter talked about Jesus would have been when he denied Him three times. Since then, Jesus had been crucified and resurrected.

What I find interesting in this passage is that Jesus finds Peter doing precisely what he was doing before He called him to follow Him: he was fishing. It is almost as if Peter was so ashamed of what he had done that he returned to his old life because it was familiar.

Jesus went back to find Peter and, after a conversation, called him to follow him. Peter was reinstated to his calling because a temporary setback would not invalidate the plan Jesus had for him.

Life will always try to pull you backward, whereas Jesus will always call you forward into the life He’s calling you to live. Peter learned in this moment that the call on his life could not be shaken. And neither can yours. Maybe, like Peter, you have messed up and gone backward, but that doesn’t mean God has forgotten what he’s called you to become. God is not surprised by anything, including your setbacks. When God called you, He knew about your past, present, and future mistakes. Your actions will never shake the call He has on your life.

Next Step

What has God called you to do? Take a moment to reflect on the calling He has on your life. Think about something placed on your heart that you haven’t been able to shake -- a lingering thought or idea about your life. Meditate on that and be encouraged that God does not forget his calling, even when we step backward.