Daily Devotional

After Jesus’ resurrection, having already appeared to His disciples twice, Peter says to his fellow disciples, “I am going fishing.” They declare that they would go along with him also. They fished all night and caught nothing. No big surprise there. At daybreak a man speaks to them from the shore, asks them a question. Gives them fishing instructions. They follow those instructions and make a great catch, so much that they were not being successful at even hauling it to shore.

Then perceptive John says in a matter-of-fact way, “It is the Lord.” Upon hearing this, Peter puts on his robe, and in his impulsive way throws himself into the sea! He pursues Jesus’ presence immediately, with energy and determination. The others only look on, and arrive later with the boat and all the fish.

At an earlier scene, before Jesus’ death and resurrection, He is invited by Martha to her home, along with her sister, Mary. Martha was busy being an appropriate hostess. But Mary chose to go directly to Jesus, much like Peter, and was found sitting at his feet. She wanted His presence. She listened to His word.

Martha was the bold one of the pair, the Peter personality. She even admonishes Jesus to correct Mary! But she discovers that Mary is declared to have made a better choice than her! Serving was good. But in this case, sitting was better. Jesus declared it “the good part.” A choice by Mary, just as Martha had made a choice. Jesus declared that Mary’s quality choice would not be taken away from her to stand apart from Jesus’ presence to make food preparations.

Psalm 90 teaches us to number our days, that we may get a heart of wisdom. This statement implies that if we are not careful, we will make “normal” human responses, and deny God’s wisdom, as Martha had. We need always a kingdom perspective, a Christ view, as Peter and Mary both had, though very different personalities.

It is not finally about life’s varied demands, and doing them well, though in itself a good choice. It is about the Lord, about Jesus. I often get overwhelmed by all the teachings and reading, pushing us this way and pulling us that way. So I regularly retreat. I withdraw. I need a condensed picture. A simple picture. I have several passages which I glom onto in such periods. They remind me of the choices of Peter and Mary. Here are three of these.

• One thing I have asked from the LORD, that I shall seek: That I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD and to meditate in His temple. Psalm 27:4, NASB
• This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He has sent. John 6:29, NASB
• For the one who has entered His rest has himself also rested from his works, as God did from His. Hebrews 4:10, NASB

Sometimes we need to fly out of the fishing boat on impulse and seek Jesus’ presence, leaving others behind. Sometimes we need to sit at Jesus’ feet, pulling away from a pushy sister telling us we ought to be doing something else. As Jesus told Martha, there is really only one thing necessary.

When all the fog closes in, when the burdens overwhelm, when the clutter of distractions makes us weary, the essential part still remains – to be in Jesus’ presence, to sit at his feet, to hear His word!

In that place, all becomes clear.

Read: Luke 10:38–42, John 21: 1–14, Psalm 90
Sing: Jesus, I Come, William T. Sleeper (George C. Stebbins)

New American Standard Bible (NASB)
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