GOD’S WORD FOR  NOVEMBER 4

Our  book excerpt today, and ongoing,  is from “Chiseled by the Master’s Hand”  Lessons from the Life of Peter, by Erwin  Lutzer.  Dr. Lutzer is  Canadian-born and served as Senior Pastor of the Moody Church in Chicago for 36 years, until his retirement in 2016.   He now serves as Pastor Emeritus of Moody Church.  He’s written many books and has radio and internet teaching programs.

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See Luke 5:1-11

Where did these fish come from?  They swam into the nets at the direction of the Lord.  They were compelled by a supernatural impulse to swim into waters they had naturally avoided.  Whether this was the right time and place made no difference.  God had spoken; THE FISH OF THE SEA WERE COMMANDED AND THEY CAME.

We can be quite sure that the previous night the fish had avoided the nets under Christ’s direction!  He wanted the disciples to fail at fishing, to make the point that as the Son of God He was qualified to direct the course of men and beasts.

 God said in Genesis 1:26 that man was to “rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”

Adam’s authority  to control the animals was lost after the Fall, but Christ, the second Adam, exercised that authority by directing the fish in Galilee to bypass the net during the night and, contrary to nature, swim into the nets in the deep water during the day.  Then He related it to witnessing to unbelievers.

We should not deduce from this that human beings are animals or pawns who have no responsibility for their own decisions.  But we can be certain that no one can ever choose to come to Christ unless compelled by God through the inner prompting of the Holy Spirit. 

Only God can overcome the natural resistance we all have to come to Christ, admitting our sinfulness and clinging to His grace.

Even if Peter had not caught a  single fish, we would have to commend him for doing whatever the Master commanded, even though it made no earthly sense.

Yet, Because of that obedience, he caught so many fish that others were also blessed by the miracle.  Now that Peter was a partner with Christ, others became partners with HIM.  He signaled for a second boat because the nets were beginning to break.

God doesn’t need us to do His work on earth.  He could have commanded the fish to jump into Peter’s boat without using a net.  Or they could have swum to shore to be caught by the hungry multitudes walking at the water’s edge.  He could speak and sinners would repent;  He could save His elect just as Saul (later, Paul) was converted on the way to Damascus.  We could be nothing more than spectators while God does His work on earth.

But God has graciously ordained that we be co-laborers with Him a long as we live on this planet.  Incredibly, He has chosen us to do His business!

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(SIDE NOTE  — NOT IN THIS BOOK:  Many times in the Old and New Testaments the Lord has used animals and creation in His dealings with man.  He made a donkey talk, a rooster crow at the perfect time, donkeys to “get lost” then present themselves again.   He directed the frogs, lice, flies and locusts to obey Him in Egypt during the plagues, as well as the river turning to blood, and the hail storms holding off for the land of Goshen only.   An untrained young donkey didn’t mind carrying Him into Jerusalem,  He made a fish eat Jonah, then at the right time, take him, to shore to spit him out.   He directed the two cows who were made to carry the Ark of the Covenant back to Israel from the Philistines, to willingly leave their newborn calves, and carefully take the Ark back by themselves.   There are many more times, besides directing pairs of every animal to enter Noah’s ark at the perfect time  find their places in the ark, and behave (or hibernate) for a year while riding the rough waters.   For more about that, go to my website writing, “Creation Obeys” at https://liveinthelightofourlord.com/2022/06/23/creation-obeys/ )

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John 14:21

He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him.

John 14:15 – “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.

2 Corinthians 10:5

 We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.

Isaiah 1:19 – If you are willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land;

Luke 6:46 – “Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do what I tell you?

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