Apr. 26, 2008 - The Boat Load of Fish
As I was falling alseep the other night I was praying and asking God to help me listen to Him and hear His Voice. Asking the Father to make me more sensitive to the Holy Spirit and to listen to Him in the many forms He chooses to speak with me. To have ears wide open and to hear with my spirit what all He desires to say to me. This is the dream I recall when I awoke the next morning:
I had the sense that I was looking at a canoe and that Jesus and Peter were on board. Jesus was sitting on one of the canoe seats and looked up at Peter and patted the seat next to him. The words I sensed Jesus saying were these: "Come and sit by me Peter. I know that you've fished all night and not caught one thing. I want you to come and sit beside me here. I want to make you feel better."
In the dream I sensed that Peter sat down and Jesus explained to him what he wanted Peter to do. When Peter obeyed the boat became so full of fish that it began to sink and another boat had to be called in to help haul all the fish caught back to the shore.
I awoke thinking about the dream and what it meant. I recalled reading a similar story in the Bible and began to think of the way Jesus might be communicating to me through the dream. I realized 2 things as I meditated on this:
1. Jesus did not cause all the fish to be caught to get any glory out it. He just honestly wanted to make Peter feel better. It had been a long night and Peter was surely tired and disappointed. Fishing was his lively hood - his source of income and his career/choice. To work all night and not be productive at all would surely be discouraging.
Jesus, being the Friend that He is, sought to encourage Peter and lift his spirits. He did what He could at the moment to help Peter in his time of stress, need, and depression. Jesus simply caused lots of fish to be caught in a very short time period. Simple for Jesus. Easy task for the Creator of the Universe. No problem. But for Peter !!!! ---- A great sense of encouragement and a spark to ignite a fire in his heart. Such a large spark that the next thing Jesus asked Peter to do was possible to answer with a resounding, "Yes!"
2. Jesus had first asked Peter to throw the net back into the water -although Peter knew from the experience of 'all night fishing' with no catch - this seemed a silly thing to do. Yet, Peter obeyed. Jesus blessed the obedience with 2 boat loads of fresh fish in a moment's time! I believe Jesus did this to increase Peter's faith so the next command He would ask of Peter would be easier to answer. The next command was, "Come and follow me and I will make you a fisher of men!"
Think of it. After probably the biggest catch of his life career as a fisherman Peter is asked to 'walk away from it all' and follow Jesus! Seems like a huge and impossible command to obey, huh? Well ....... not if you are Peter.
From Peter's perspective Jesus had just done the impossible. He had just done something that Peter - as a professional fisherman - knew was impossible. A true miracle.
Just like the rest of us ...... Jesus deals with us as individuals with unique thoughts, careers/jobs, ideas and concerns. He comes at just the right time to encourage us when we are in deep despair. Then He blesses us beyond measure. And the unique and specific blessing is for us only. It might not mean as much to someone else. Truth be known - it may only be understood by us and appreciated by us - but that is OK if no one else understands. Jesus did it for us - not someone else. We are each unique and special to Him and He takes the time to meet us where we are. He senses our deepest need at the moment.
Remember when I said I saw Jesus in the dream patting the seat beside Him in the canoe and asking Peter to sit down beside Him? I believe that is what He calls us to do. To spend a moment or two just sitting beside Him and hearing Him out. Sensing His Presence and listening for His still quiet Voice - expecting that He truly desires to Help us, Comfort us, and Be with us.
The other voices in the world yell, scream and shout for attention. To hear His Voice we must sit down beside Him in the stillness and listen for His command and then obey. No matter how illogical or silly it seems. No matter how much we think we know. No matter what our intellect tells us. To simply listen and then follow out His instructions to the letter!
When we do this, as Peter did, we are surely in for a Blessing. One beyond measure. One that might not mean so much to everyone else in our realm of influence ..... but a blessing that for us is a Kiss from Heaven. A sure sign that we are loved and seen by our Awesome Creator and that He cares enough to come along beside us and meet us in our deepest needs.
And then ... guess what ..... the next thing He asks of us will be a little easier to obey. Our faith will have grown just enough to be able to say 'Yes' to the next request. And so on and so forth ...... we will grow more and more into the Image of Christ who obeyed the Father in every detail of His life.
Will it be a life of adventure? Yes!
Will it be unpredictable? Probably.
Will it be fulfilling? Most definitely.
Will it be a life filled with love, purpose and passion? Yes. Yes. Yes. How could it be any less? God knows what He created you to be. His. And once we are committed to being just that - HIS - we are in for the ride of our lives because we will be living each moment in His Will and in His Ways and He never makes mistakes.
Trust Him. He created you. No one else in this world is like you. There will never be another you on this planet. What ever you are supposed to do here ..... only you can do it.
Bask in His Love. Climb up next to him on the seat of your empty canoe and let Him encourage you and guide you and teach you. Listen to His Ways and follow them. Don't let logic or your intellect get in the way. Let Him guide you by His Spirit. Ask Him to make you sensitive to His Voice and His Leadings. He is so creative and He made you to be creative also. Don't try to 'fit into a mold' or 'stay in the box' -- just be His. That is your job - TO BE HIS ALONE.
Dear Jesus, I don't know all that you wanted to show me through this dream. But the love and compassion I sensed overwhelmed me. To think that You didn't fill those boats up so that You could receive glory and honor and praise ..... but to encourage a discouraged fishermen ... and then to encourage Him to a lifetime of service to You. You are an amazing God ..... teach us more of YourSelf and Your Ways. Forgive us for being so close-minded, puffed-up and prideful. Teach our hearts to humbly walk before You and obey whatever You ask of us. In Jesus Name we ask, believe and receive. I love you Lord........ Your Child-Belinda
Comments
Apr. 28, 2008 - Untitled Comment
Posted by prettylittledresses
Come and see All the Pretty Little Dresses!
Apr. 30, 2008 - Untitled Comment
Posted by BrandiA
Sis,'
This is one of the most beautiful things I have ever read--seriously! Definitely God-given. Definitely inspired and annointed!
It was a huge blessing to me. Thank you!
Love ya! Sisters Twice, Bran
