Category: Spiritual

John 17:16-18; 21:1-6

My late husband, Willie Breland, Jr., was a fisherman; his belief was that if you had not caught anything in one place in 30 minutes, leave and go someplace else. These fishermen, however, chose to have a night of fishing. They did not know that there at the Sea of Tiberias (Galilee) they would see Jesus as promised. Jesus is purposeful in His doings; He knew this was the ideal place to appear to them together. Before His crucifixion, He prayed for His disciples. He declared their relationship with Him; they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world (John 17:16). Jesus asked the Father to sanctify My disciples through Your Word, which is truth (John 17:17). He prayed that just as the Father sent me into the world, I am sending My disciples into the world (John 17:18).

After a night of unsuccessful fishing, morning came. Jesus stood on the shore, but the disciples did not know that it was Him. He addressed them as “Children” and asked if they had any meat; they answered, “No.”

He directed them to cast the net on the right side of the boat, and they will find some (John 21:6, NKJV). They did, and their catch was so great they were not able to draw it in. This symbolized that believers are unsuccessful outside the presence of Jesus. When they obey Christ, it leads them to miraculous blessings. “Those who listen to instruction will prosper; those who trust the Lord will be joyful” (Prov. 16:20, NLT).

Lift up your voice and give God glory!  

John 21:1-6

In this passage Jesus manifested Himself for the third time after His resurrection (Matt. 28:7). This is how it happened. Seven of His apostles, including Simon Peter, were together at the sea of Tiberias. By revealing Himself to the group, they might be joint witnesses of the same matter of fact and could corroborate one another’s testimony (Matthew Henry). 

Simon Peter said he was going fishing; the others said they were going also. Immediately they went out and got into the boat. That night of fishing was unsuccessful; they caught nothing. However, these disciples were here because the angelic message to the women at the tomb was to tell His disciples that He is risen from the dead, and indeed He is going before you into Galilee; there you will see Him (Matt. 28:5-7). Jesus purposefully had His disciples meet Him in Galilee and allowed them to have an unsuccessful night of fishing. He had a plan to turn things around. 

Just as day was breaking, Jesus stood on the shore; yet the disciples did not know that it was Jesus (v.4). Then Jesus said to them, “Children, have you any food?” They answered Him, “No” (v.5). And He said to them, “Cast the net on the right side of the of the boat and you will find some. So, they cast, and now they were not able to draw it in because of the multitude of fish (v.6). 

Lift up your voice and give God glory! 

Psalm 34:19-22

David has declared that the righteous have benefits. Yes, they suffer many afflictions, but he / she has assurance that the Lord delivers His children out of them all (v.19). Here David said that “He keeps all his bones: not one of them is broken” (v.20). Various commentaries say David was speaking of his many battles, accidents, and hardships, and they had not broken his spirit. Many also see this as David speaking a word of prophecy – the coming of the Messiah, Jesus Christ. 

David went on to declare that “Evil will slay the wicked: and they that hate the righteous shall be desolate” (v.21). Scripture also tells us: “The evil deeds of a wicked man entrap him” (Prov. 5:22a). Our fore parents disobeyed God’s command to “freely eat of every tree of the garden (Gen. 2:16), accept from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil” (Gen. 2:17a). God promised “…for in the day that you eat of it you will die” (Gen. 2:17b). As a result, their fallen sinful nature led to our death. However, Romans 6:23 says: ^“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord. David also said that they who hate the righteous will be desolate – miserable and unfruitful. “The Lord redeems the soul of his servants: and none of them that trust in him will be condemned” (v.22). “He rewards those who diligently seek Him” (Heb.11:6c).

There is favor being in relationship with God. Will you accept Him today? 

Give God glory!

Psalm 34:17-18

The Gospel songwriter said: “What You Need, God’s Got It.” Here David declared, “The righteous cry, and the Lord hears and delivers them out of all their troubles” (v.17). These are benefits of being in relationship with our Redeemer. Think about this. When Pharaoh had let the children of Israel go out of Egypt, the Lord hardened Pharaoh’s heart. He and his servants pursued after the people. As Pharaoh approached, the Israelites looked up and saw the Egyptians marching after them, and they were terrified and cried out to the LORD (Exod.14:10). When God’s people are between a rock and a hard place, like Pharaoh’s army and the Red Sea, when they don’t know what to do, God will hear their cry and deliver them out of all their troubles. 

When the righteous cry to God, they have the assurance that “The Lord is nigh to them that are of a broken heart; and saves such as be

of a contrite spirit” [the kind of spirit, or heart, pleasing and acceptable to God] (v.18). That is, the Lord is near to the heartbroken and saves those who are crushed in spirit and truly sorry for their sin. You see, David knew   that brokenness and humility, and not animal sacrifices, would result in God’s forgiveness. “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, A broken and a contrite heart…” (Psalm 51:17, NIV). In other words, God is pleased when the righteous move self out the way, repent, and put dependence on Him.

Lift your voice and shout, “Glory Hallelujah!”

Psalm 34:15-16

Recall that David commanded believers in v.13 to “keep the tongue from evil and the lips from speaking guile.” Here in vv. 15-16, he recognized God’s eyes, ears, and face. “The eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous, and his ears are open to their cry” (v.15). His face is against them that do evil, to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth (v.16). 

The righteous are blessed; they fear the Lord, obey, and honor Him with their lives. Therefore, He intently watches them, never withdrawing His eyes from them. David declared that God’s ears are open to His children. He listens to their prayers, and He answers them. Our Father knows what we stand in need of before we ask Him (Matt. 6:8). “And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he hears us” (1John 5:14): “And if we know that he hears us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him” (1John 5:15).

Then there are those who do evil. Being an all-seeing God means the same God that sees the righteous and accepts them also sees the evildoers and rejects them. John said that the one who believes in the Son has eternal life. The one who refuses to believe the Son will not see life, but God’s anger, because evil remains on him (John 3:36, Amplified Bible). God hears your cry for help; if you trust Him and accept His conditions, He will deliver you.

Give Him praise. Shout, “Glory!”