Thoughts for another day

March 2, 2012

Today's verse: Luke 5:8. When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord.  (KJV)

(Pls. read the above before you read further. Thanks)

Peter and his fishing companions had worked all night without a bit of success and so, Peter thought that Jesus' suggestion of putting out in the deep waters for fish was futile, for he, a professional fisherman, knowing the ins and outs of fishing and having faced utter failure the whole night, also knew the waters couldn't be trusted to suddenly produce fish out of nothing!  But something in the Word of the Master told him to do it and he did; and viola, he landed the biggest catch in his life; a little more and both his boat and that of his partner, would have sunk!

The reality of who Jesus was hit Peter.  In a flash he saw the Divinity of Jesus and in it, he sensed His holiness.  Awe struck his heart; fear sank into his tendons and all of a sudden Peter realized his own futile and dirty existence; he understood that before the Awesome and holy God, he was nothing.  His 'time' suddenly froze inside the vast expanse of timelessness of the Savior while the knowledge of God, burst into his conscience.  In humble recognition of who he was, Peter made the plea to Jesus, 'Depart from me LORD for I am a sinful man!' 

Peter had, in that instant of 'stilled' time, his 'revealed moment of truth', become aware of his lack of holiness which hitherto he hadn't even thought of and the Divine trait of holiness was manifest to him.  We too at times come face to face with the holiness of God and squirm at our own sinfulness, which hits us in the guts and like Isaiah; we may be undone or come apart or simply crushed by the realization of how insignificant we are before our God.  The beauty is, even when the Lord reveals our guilt, He yet, gives us His Own worthiness, making us worthy before our Father, to be accepted in the Beloved!  So work to get that holiness before God, even if by jeers, insults or stripes, as reward for your faithful service as His messenger, so that some day in heaven you can rejoice in His glory.