Test pilots, punching into the atmosphere, climbing to undreamed heights in jet planes and space craft, have a phrase they use to describe their work. Do you know what it is? They call it “punching holes in the sky.” That is what we were meant to do with our lives, to climb beyond humdrum and press on beyond all those things that hold us back. We aim too low and somehow we are satisfied with good enough. When have we set out to punch holes in the sky? When have we aimed for the impossible? God has given us life and all of its adventures, but it is the impossible that stops us. The fear of failure or even the fear of success paralyzes us from the start.
We saw this in Jesus’ disciple Peter. What a great example he was. Peter was a chosen disciple, a man who Jesus loved, as human as we are, often times filled with self doubt, certainly at the end of the life of Jesus. I believe that is why, according to the Gospel of Mark, when Jesus first appeared to the women at His tomb early Easter Sunday morning, He told them to tell His disciples, especially Peter, that He was risen and would see them in Galilee. Jesus knew Peter was hurting, and needed His ministering words. So we read from the Gospel of John when Jesus encountered Peter on the shoreline of the Sea of Galilee, just north of the great city of Tiberius and south of Peter’s home in Capernaum.
Afterward Jesus appeared again to his disciples, by the Sea of Galilee. It happened this way: Simon Peter, Thomas, Nathanael from Cana in Galilee (Whom, when he first met Jesus said, “What good can possibly come out of Nazareth!), the sons of Zebedee (John and James), and two other disciples were together. "I’m going out to fish," Simon Peter told them, and they said, "We’ll go with you." So they went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing. Early in the morning, Jesus stood on the shore, but the disciples did not realize that it was Jesus. He called out to them, "Friends, haven’t you any fish?" "No," they answered. He said, "Throw your net on the right side of the boat and you will find some." When they did, they were unable to haul the net in because of the large number of fish. Then the disciple whom Jesus loved (John) said to Peter, "It is the Lord!" As soon as Simon Peter heard him say, "It is the Lord," he wrapped his outer garment around him (for he had taken it off) and jumped into the water. The other disciples followed in the boat, towing the net full of fish, for they were not far from shore, about a hundred yards. When they landed, they saw a fire of burning coals there with fish on it, and some bread. Jesus said to them, "Bring some of the fish you have just caught." Simon Peter climbed aboard 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." None of the disciples dared ask him, "Who are you?" They knew it was the Lord. Jesus came, took the bread and gave it to them, and did the same with the fish. This was now the third time Jesus appeared to his disciples after he was raised from the dead. When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon son of Jonah, do you truly love me more than these?" "Yes, Lord," he said, "you know that I love you." Jesus said, "Feed my lambs." Again Jesus said, "Simon son of Jonah, do you truly love me?" He answered, "Yes, Lord, you know that I love you." Jesus said, "Take care of my sheep." The third time he said to him, "Simon son of Jonah, do you love me?" Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, "Do you love me?" He said, "Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you." Jesus said, "Feed my sheep.
I find this account very interesting. First, if you stand on the shore of the Sea of Galilee at nighttime, you can watch fish literally jump out of the water. For experienced fishermen, it would be impossible for them not to catch any fish, In the daytime the fish swim to the bottom depths and do not come up to the surface to find food. So the disciples couldn’t catch one single fish all night long, yet in the morning, after the Word was given to them by Jesus, their net was beyond full! Jesus, an experienced carpenter, teaching the experienced fishermen how to catch fish!
What a heart Jesus had. Peter, filled with self doubt, perhaps wanting instead to swim away from Jesus came directly to Him and Jesus opened His arms. His words of love, forgiveness and encouragement were words of action. “Go out and serve Peter!” “Help those who are hurting and teach people My Gospel Message!” “Punch holes in the sky!”
I read of a small band of acrobats, doing the same show night after night and after awhile they approached their work with the same humdrum attitude, and it was contagious. The audience soon caught on that they were bored with their work until the impossible occurred. They decided to try something different. One night, one of the acrobats came down to the footlights of the arena and announced to the audience, “We will now to a trick that’s impossible.” Thereupon his fellow acrobats leaped to their frightening perches and the audience woke up with anticipation. In the four corners, high above the arena, the men and women were ready to do the impossible. The lead man clapped his hands and off they all went swinging on each respective trapeze already set in motion, and then something happened. Out went the lights. Suddenly it was pitch black in the arena and the only things you could see were the exit lights near the tunnels. When the lights came on, the smiling acrobats were posing proudly in the center of the ring, the impossible quite obviously accomplished. Flips, twists and turns with perfect timing all accomplished without the ability to see each other. The audience rose to their feet with a thunderous applause. These acrobats “punched holes in the sky” that night. When was the last time we did?
There was a small group of people in the first century who challenged the way of life within the Roman Empire in the name of an impossible dream called “Christianity.” How amazing to read how humanity woke up when they got busy “punching holes in the sky”, all in the Name of the risen Savior Jesus Christ.
As we read about Peter, we can see the transformation that took place in his life, all because of Jesus. Just an ordinary man with an extraordinary amount of faith that gave him the strength to accomplish the impossible in his lifetime. And the same holds true for us today. When was the last time we reached for the impossible, or are we satisfied with the mediocre? I’m not.
I believe that God has given all of us the ability to step out in faith and try new things, but self doubt often holds us back. It was true with Peter. Here was a man, chosen and trained by God himself. And yet, on the night Jesus was betrayed and arrested, Peter was nowhere to be found. Self doubt took control as fled and blended into the crowd. We all know the story quite well, denying our Lord not once or twice, but three times that night before he went into hiding. Instead of “punching holes in the sky”, Peter went into a downward spiral. On the night when Jesus needed His friend, His chosen disciple the most, Peter retreated into his own world of self doubt and fear.
I’ve said this before, but no one has ever come to a relationship with Christ by losing an argument. But millions of people have come to a relationship with Jesus Christ, through the power of the Holy Spirit, because they saw a difference in someone’s life, someone they were close too. I believe we all should approach life with an attitude that allows us to “punch holes in the sky.” The attitude that shouts “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me!” Four things that should become a regular part of our daily lives.
Spend time every day in God’s Word. Read the Gospels, read Paul’s letters, read the rich history lessons in the Old Testament, read the books of the prophets. Every day, set aside twenty minutes for a daily devotional and prayer.
Find joy in something each day. Realize that each day is a gift from God and there is joy around us if we look for it. Joy in appreciating God’s creation, joy in spending time with someone we love, or someone we want to get to know even better.
Work on self improvement. Thomas Kempis once said, “If every year we would root out one vise, we would soon become perfect.” He also said, “Without the Way, there is no going. Without the truth, there is no knowing. Without the life, there is no living.” We have been given an amazing life haven’t we? In the book “One Month To Live” by Kerry and Chris Shook, they ask if we have ever watched a master sculptor work. Sculptors have a vision for what’s inside the marble or rock that they work toward revealing, little by little. When the great sculptor Michelangelo was asked how he created his masterpiece David he replied that he just chipped away everything that didn’t look like David. Simple as that. And that’s what God does in our lives. He chips away everything in our character that doesn’t look like Jesus Christ – all the character faults and flaws – because His plan is to perfect you in the image of His Son.
Try something new. Venture out and do something different. Punch holes in the sky. God has given each of us abilities to do and accomplish great things. I am reminded of a story about an illiterate farmer who decided it was time to learn to read and write. After some diligent study, he took his pencil and began scribbling. Suddenly he shouted to his wife: “Martha, come here. I can write!” She ran in the room, looked at his doodling and said, “Wonderful. What does it say?” “One thing at a time,” he said, “I haven’t learned to read yet!”
Start where you are. Take one thing at a time and put God’s strength beside your own weakness. And realize that the only true failure lies in failure to start.
Recorded in the second chapter of Acts, on the day of Pentecost, transformed by the power of the Holy Spirit, Peter boldly delivered these words to thousands of people gathered together in Jerusalem, quoting directly from Psalm 16 when he said; “I foresaw the Lord always before my face, for He is at my right hand, that I may not be shaken. Therefore my heart rejoiced, and my tongue was glad, moreover my flesh also will rest in hope. You will not leave my soul in Hades, nor will You allow Your Holy One to see corruption. You have made known to me the ways of life; You will make me full of joy in Your presence.” You will make me full of joy in Your presence. And in verse 41 we read that those who gladly received God’s Word through Peter were baptized and three thousand souls were saved that day.
Do you remember black and white television? Do you remember when television would go off the air at 2:00 AM and return four hours later? All that would be visible was a test pattern and all that would be heard was a high pitched tone. Just before 2:00, the words of this poem would be read, entitled “High Flight” as a tribute to pilots of all generations.
“Oh! I have slipped the surly bonds of earth and danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings; Sunward I’ve climbed, and joined the tumbling mirth of sun-split clouds - and done a hundred things you have not dreamed of - wheeled and soared and swung high in the sunlit silence. Hovering there I’ve chased the shouting wind along, and flung my eager craft through footless halls of air. Up, up the long delirious, burning blue, I’ve topped the windswept heights with easy grace where never lark, or even eagle flew - And, while with silent lifting mind I’ve trod the high untresspassed sanctity of space, put out my hand and touched the face of God.”
Jesus asked Peter if he loved Him. And Peter replied yes Lord. Then Jesus said, do something that will make a difference in your life and others. In other words……Punch holes in the sky.
