Live to Love Scripture Encouragement

John 21:13 Jesus came and took the bread and gave it to them, and the fish likewise.
My understanding of middle-eastern culture is that hospitality is an incredibly high value. If a guest came, food and drink were offered. It was expected as a display of honor. To not do so was to shame the guests and would be considered shameful of the host. The earth is the Lord’s. It’s His house, and that morning on the beach, He wanted to refresh them after their fishing adventure. What kindness.
This encourages us to be kind also. One aspect of love is hospitality—kindness—sharing what You have with others as God brings them into your path or your home. Sometimes our kindness may be planned and other times it may be random. Regardless, let’s just let this idea of kindness encourage us to be looking for opportunities to be kind to those God puts in our lives today. What do you have that you can share with your wife, husband, children, parents, friends, and work associates?
Jesus, show us how You want to be kind to those You put in our lives today, for Your glory. Amen.

Acknowledgment: Music from “Carried by the Father” by Eric Terlizzi. www.ericterlizzi.com

John 21:12 Jesus said to them, "Come and have breakfast." None of the disciples ventured to question Him, "Who are You?" knowing that it was the Lord.
John wanted his readers to know for certain that this was an encounter with the resurrected Jesus. Therefore he stated uncategorically that they knew that it was the Lord. The Holy Spirit inspired John, so we can know this comment about this encounter is important for us. He wrote these things so we might believe that Jesus is the Christ and that in His name we may have life. What encouragement can we draw from this?
Even though we may believe and know the Lord, we can’t be encouraged enough. We need a daily reminder of who Jesus is because our faith will be tested today. Satan and the world, who hate the light, may be allowed to express that hatred in the affairs of your life, and then a thought may flash through your mind. Is Jesus who He said He was? Is Jesus really Lord of all?
May we receive this encouragement with open hearts. Jesus, we don’t question who You are. We know You are the Lord, no matter what happens today. We worship You as the Lord of creation and the Lord of our lives. We know You care for us and want to be with us and break bread with us—fellowship with us. That’s amazing and humbling! Fill us with the awareness and reality of what we know about You today. Thank You for inviting us to eat and fellowship with You. Amen.

Acknowledgment: Music from “Carried by the Father” by Eric Terlizzi. www.ericterlizzi.com

John 21:11 Simon Peter went up and drew the net to land, full of large fish, a hundred and fifty-three; and although there were so many, the net was not torn.
It seems that Peter was still in the water and hadn’t yet come on the land because John said that he “went up and drew the net to the land.” Had he been on the beach he would have “gone down.” John thought it was important to note that there were so many fish, 153 to be exact, that the net was not torn. Someone had to have counted them, perhaps John or whoever the accountant was for the disciples. The encouragement to me is that those nets were important to Jesus’ friends, and He, who holds all things together held the net together as Peter drug it ashore so full of flapping fish. Let’s be amazed at this Jesus, the Son of God, the creator and sustainer of the universe.
The apostle Paul described Him this way, Col. 1:15-17 “He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities — all things have been created through Him and for Him. He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.”
Today, let us be encouraged by this great reality of who Jesus is. He loves us and cares for the things that are important to us, like He cared for the net which belonged to one of the disciples. He created us for Himself. We exist for God and we exist through Jesus’ purpose, love, and care. As we co-labor with Him, may we trust Him with everything in our lives. This glorifies Him. It’s our way of saying to Him that we know He loves and cares for us. Notice how Peter obeyed Jesus’ directive. It was hard work, I’m sure. We can be sure that he was careful with his net, not to break it. We can trust Him as we work carefully to obey Him and do as He directs us today. That confidence is an important aspect of living to love with Jesus. He will take care of the important things to us.

Acknowledgment: Music from “Carried by the Father” by Eric Terlizzi. www.ericterlizzi.com

John 21:10 Jesus said to them, "Bring some of the fish which you have now caught."
Why did Jesus ask them to bring some of the fish they had caught when He already had fish and bread prepared? I’m not sure, but it does seem like the Lord to bless our labors and then use the fruit of what He provided for His glory. We are in this together, and in a way, Jesus asking them to add their fish to His dignified their work and exemplified His union with them. They were co-laborers and they were to enjoy their work and the fruit of it.
The same is true for us today as we live to love with Jesus. We are co-laboring with Him. We are helpless to accomplish anything of significance, so He supplies what we need as we work. Then having finished our work, Jesus blesses it by uniting it with what He has prepared for us. It’s a wonderful picture that encourages us to surrender all that we are and have to Jesus as Lord. We can know that He will dignify our work by using it for His purposes and glory.
Father, we praise You and love You because of Your gracious care for us. It’s really overwhelming love that You have bestowed on us that we can co-labor with You. Thank you for blessing our labors today and using the fruit of them for Your glory. Amen.

Acknowledgment: Music from “Carried by the Father” by Eric Terlizzi. www.ericterlizzi.com

John 21:8 But the other disciples came in the little boat, for they were not far from the land, but about one hundred yards away, dragging the net full of fish.
I imagine us at the end of our lives dragging our nets to Jesus. Each one’s net is full of the people God put into our paths throughout our lives. People whom Jesus loved through us and to whom He ministered. We present them to Him because we know we didn’t catch them. He gave them to us for our joy and blessing and for His own joy and glory.
Lord Jesus, we want to see You manifested in our lives, but are as helpless as Your disciples were to catch fish. Without Your power and presence, we waste our lives. Fill our nets with the souls of many for Your joy and glory.

Acknowledgment: Music from “Carried by the Father” by Eric Terlizzi. www.ericterlizzi.com