Isaiah 60:1 – 5 & 19 - 22
First we need to understand once again that God does operate in eternity while we as humans live in time. Long before time began eternity already existed and long after time has seized to exist there will be still eternity.
Secondly we need to say again that God only operates in the spiritual dimension while we are in the natural dimension. God is the unseen and the supernatural while we are the seen and the natural.
Thirdly we must understand that what God has planned and ordained in eternity, before the foundations of this earth, will happen in the natural at the appointed time.
The easiest way to explain this is to compare it with an alarm clock. There is a reason why we set our alarm clock for at the appointed time we want it to go off. The moment this alarm clock goes off it makes an announcement. The moment this alarm clock went off it announces the breaking of a new day. In the same way, I believe, God had predestined something in eternity and He has set the alarm clock. Somewhere and sometime this clock will go off and something miraculous is going to happen in our lives. That which God has determined in eternity will go off in time.
This is exactly what I see in this Scripture.
Isaiah 60:22
AMP: The least one shall become a thousand [a clan], and the small one a strong nation. I, the Lord, will hasten it in its [appointed] time.
CEV: Even the smallest family will be a powerful nation. I am the LORD, and when the time comes, I will quickly do all this.
God says that there is an appointed time; in other words the alarm clock has been set and at a certain time it will go off. And when it goes off it is time to arise from the depression that your circumstances has put you in and to shine and to be radiant with the glory of the Lord.
The Bible is very clear that the appointed time is here; the glory of the Lord is here to shine upon us. Our alarm clock has gone off and it is time to arise. The glory of the Lord is here and even the smallest family can become like a powerful nation.
Listen, your alarm clock is ringing and it is announcing your breakthrough.
This is exactly what happened with Peter.
Luke 5:1 – 2
John, James and Simon (Peter) had their own business – fishing. They were professional fishermen. They knew exactly when, were and how to catch fish. But in this Scripture we find not on the water but their boats were drawn up by the lake and they are busy washing their nets. The reason for this is because they didn’t catch any fish.
In fact there was no need to wash the nets because they didn’t catch anything. But they knew it is better to wash the nets than to go home and tell the wife there is nothing. It is better to sit at the lake than to see once again the disappointment in their wife’s and children faces. It is beter to wash the nets than to proclaim to their families that they have failed again.
I believe we will agree that the success of a man at his work has a lot to do with who he is. And here these three guys are sitting and the whole town knows they have failed. Everybody came to buy some fish but there was yet again nothing. I believe they were starting to feel very sorry for themselves.
We must understand that the level of success a man experience at his work has a profound influence of how successful he sees himself at home. That is why they rather chose to wash the nets than to go home. They were sitting in the depression of their circumstances but they didn’t realise that their alarm clock has gone off.
Vers 3
We need to understand something here. Jesus was not known by Peter at this stage. In fact Peter was not born again yet. He was a truly and real hard fisherman. But he was so caught up in his circumstances that he didn’t even had the fighting spirit to stop this stranger from getting into his boat. If it happened a week earlier Peter would have most probably try to bash Jesus head in. He would not have allowed a stranger just to climb in his boat but his alarm clock has gone off. It was time for him to arise from the depression his circumstances has put him is and to be radiant with the glory of the Lord.
In eternity God has set his alarm and now it went off and Jesus Christ, the outshining of the glory of God, is climbing into his boat.
I believe our alarm clock has gone off and God is ready to step into our boat. You need to hear the alarm clock ringing. God is ready to step into your world. God is ready to step into your circumstances. Maybe you also feel like a loser. Maybe your circumstances have put you in a state of depression. But hear the sound of your alarm clock. God is ready to step in. It is time to arise. It is time to be radiant with the glory of the Lord. Your alarm clock has gone off. The glory of the Lord is here!!!
Another thing we need to understand here is that Jesus at this moment didn’t really come for the crowd but He came to catch Peter. He came to change Peter’s circumstances. This boat was Peter’s life. It was the place where he spend most of his energy and resources in. It was the one thing that he was so dependent on. It was his source of income and life. Without it he could not fulfill his role as husband and father. It was the most important thing to him.
And guess what: it is exactly that which he had to give to Jesus.
Vers 4
Just always keep in mind that there were a lot of people that were looking and listening to everything. Now Jesus asks him to go fishing. Everybody knew that they were professional fishermen. Everybody knew that if they didn’t catch anything nobody will catch anything.
I can imagine what Peter must have been thinking. Not only comes this stranger and just climb into my boat but now He also wants to embarrass me in front of everybody. You do not catch fish during the day. You catch fish during the night. And we have tried the whole night long. Now you want me to put in my nets.
This, I believe, was the reason for his answer in vers 5.
Remember Jesus said lower down your nets (plural) but Peter say that he will lower down his net (singular). God wants to do great things for us that is why He asked us to through out our nets. But many times were are just like Peter and are prepared to be obedient but on our terms. One net is all we are prepared to through out because we do not want to be embarrassed in front of everybody. We will through out one net just because we are worried about what people will say or think. We do not want to be made fools off.
Vers 6
Just imagine for Peter standing there and suddenly it is just fish everywhere. Suddenly he sees his first miracle and what hit was not the amount of fishes they caught but the amount of fishes he missed because he only put one net in the water.
Just like him we are missing so many blessings just because we are not prepared to through everything overboard.
Vers 7 – 9
Suddenly Peter hears his alarm clock ringing and fell down before Jesus, giving Him everything. There is an alarm clock on your life Peter and it is ringing. Jesus did not step into his boat to give him fish but to allow fish and bread to multiply in Peter’s hands. It was not God’s purpose for Peter to sit in depression of circumstances and wash nets but it was God’s purpose for him to shine, to be radiant with the glory of the Lord. It was God’s purpose for him to say to the lame stand up and walk in the Name of Jesus. There was an alarm clock set on his life so that he can become the receiver of power from the Holy Spirit. There was an alarm clock on his life so that even when his shadow touches the sick they were healed.
Peter your alarm clock is ringing – arise from the depression which your circumstances has put you in and be radiant with the glory of the Lord.
It is your appointed time. And we all know what happened with Peter. Even when his apron was placed on the sick they were healed.
It is not God’s purpose and plan for you to sit in the depression of your circumstances. Your alarm clock has gone off. Arise!!!
Allow God to step into your boat. Give Him everything so that you can be radiant with the glory of the Lord.
