1161-Your Strength Comes from the Presence of the Lord Jesus#
1161—Your Strength Comes from the Presence of the Lord Jesus
(JP Text Group—Organized by Jia Mei)
John 20:24-29:
Now Thomas, one of the Twelve, called the Twin, was not with them when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them, “Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will never believe.” Eight days later, his disciples were inside again, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe!” Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!” Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed!” Amen!
Let us pray together:
Loving Heavenly Father, we especially thank and praise you. We gather together to worship you. You are our Lord, our hope. We also believe that your words are given to us. Blessed are those who believe.
Today we are blessed people. You are willing to bestow your grace upon us. The Holy Spirit is working in the hearts of each one of us at this moment, renewing our thoughts and minds. We are willing to look solely to you. We commit the time ahead to you, praying in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Once during a Sunday gathering, Thomas was missing; that day happened to be the first Sunday after Jesus' resurrection. He did not come, and on that day, Jesus appeared among the disciples. After Jesus left, the disciples said to Thomas, “It’s a pity you weren’t here today; we have seen the risen Lord.” Thomas said, “I do not believe unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands and put my finger into the mark of the nails and place my hand into his side; I will never believe.” Such a person, being steadfast in truth is good, but believing only after seeing is not as blessed as those who believe because of God's word.
The topic we are sharing today: Your Strength Comes from the Presence of Jesus
Please receive God's strength in rest.
When a person works hard all day and is tired, after a night’s rest, their strength is restored. While working, you are constantly expending your strength. When you quiet down and stop, entering into sleep, it is the process of your physical strength being restored.
Brothers and sisters, how is the spirit restored? Many things consume your thoughts and strength. How can one be restored? This cannot be achieved simply by sleeping; many people still feel troubled after waking up from sleep. So what should we do? You need to find true release and peace in God's word.
No matter what you encounter, just seek the Lord and pray, “Heavenly Father, I entrust this burden to you.” In this way, you can hand over your burdens, worries, sickness, and all your anxieties to God. Look to Jesus’ words, and He will surely give to you.
Last week was Easter, and we celebrated the resurrection of Jesus. He has accomplished His salvation. We are recipients of what He has achieved. It’s like someone has prepared a meal; all you need to do is enjoy it. For this, we give thanks.
Coming here on Sunday is not to continue working to please God! You come to receive His grace; here He will give you strength. When do you work? Tomorrow, when you enter into your work, do so diligently with the strength the Lord gives you. This is called working in rest.
You cannot add anything to what the Lord Jesus has already accomplished. He has completed it. The issues of sin, sickness, pain, worry, and all the problems that will arise in the world have already been resolved by Him. You come to receive His strength to become ours. The most valuable thing you can do is to rest in the work He has already completed.
When you do this, you are worshiping Him and honoring Him. When we sing with spirit and truth, God is pleased. Every time you praise, you are enjoying the presence of Jesus Christ. When you listen to the word, you are enjoying your communion with Jesus Christ. The people sitting next to you are your brothers and sisters; what you cannot see is Jesus with you.
Not only are you here, but Jesus is also here. When we listen to the word, we are honoring Him; when we receive the word, we are honoring Him.
If we think we can please God by doing other things, in reality, you can do nothing. Because God's love for us is already complete; His love for you is given without reservation.
Before the Passover, Jesus knew that the time had come for Him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end. Do you know what it means to love to the end? It means He gave us everything. Hallelujah!
The love He gives us is perfect; God's love is unchanging and does not increase or decrease based on our behavior. Of course, when we behave well, not only do we benefit ourselves, but we also glorify our Lord's name.
When you discover your problems, you need to come back to Him and receive His perfect love again. The problem is not with God; the issue is certainly with us. We need to receive His strength again from the Lord to overcome. Thank the Lord!
When you come to the gathering, the most important thing you need to do is to relax. Lay down your burdens. If your bag is heavy, put it on the chair; don’t carry it anymore. Put it down and enjoy His provision. Many people always think they must do something to please God; this is the standard Martha mindset.
Once, Jesus went to a person's house. The sister was named Martha, and the brother was named Mary. Martha was very busy; when she saw Jesus had come, she immediately went to the kitchen to prepare food and drink for the disciples. After Mary saw Jesus, she gave Him a seat and said, “Rabbi, please sit.” Then she sat at Jesus' feet, listening to Him teach. Martha was busy in the house, perhaps overwhelmed, and came out to accuse her sister, saying to Jesus, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me.” Jesus said, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things.”
Jesus did not criticize Martha's service, nor did He say she should not be busy in the kitchen but should come to listen to the word. There is nothing wrong with serving there. Jesus simply said that she was troubled about many things. No matter where we serve, these things should not become our worries.
You have come here, so relax a bit; do not think about disobedient children or worries at home. Do not think about those things. First, listen to Christ's word. When you let go, God will take care of you. Martha saw Jesus coming and thought of doing something for Him; she thought of providing food. In fact, no matter what we do, we need to receive strength from God before serving, so we won’t be overwhelmed. If you want to serve in the kitchen, do so willingly. If you can sit at Jesus' feet and listen to the word in peace, this is to gain strength for more effective service later.
Luke 10:41-42
Jesus answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things. But one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.”
What is the good portion? It is receiving power and grace from Christ.
Later we see that Mary's service was powerful and enduring. Before we begin to receive the preaching, we need to quiet ourselves, pray for ourselves, open our hearts to the Lord, lay down all burdens, and not let them affect our listening to the word. Because when you listen to the word with your worries, thoughts, and fixed ideas, it is hard to receive anything.
If you encounter difficulties and do not know what to do, when you come to church, pray, “Heavenly Father, I lay down all these worries, troubles, and pains. I want to receive your grace and your power here.” When you pray this way, God will allow you to receive answers during the preaching.
You are doing this, receiving the good portion. No one can take away that good portion. As long as you are willing in your heart, nothing can influence you. Many people, not knowing Jesus, say, “Look at those Christians; they are a bit crazy, running around in such heavy rain instead of staying at home. Some even say you are so lost in your faith that you must go to church to listen to the word on a weekend when you could be making good business!”
They do not know that the source of blessing is God. We are now receiving the good portion. We are receiving His provision in rest. The good portion is prepared for those who thirst. Whenever you seek Him and rest in Him, God's power is within you, restoring everything.
You fall asleep at night, but God does not sleep. When you rest, God begins to repair what you lack. God wants to restore your strength while you rest. We are here listening to the word; it seems you are doing nothing, but you are replenishing your spiritual food. This is the source of continuous peace, joy, and effective work.
In the new week, when you work with the rest of the Lord Jesus, you can easily cope with your life. Jesus has risen from the dead and is now at the right hand of the Father. What does this mean?
In the past, when priests served in the temple, they had to wear something, which was the ephod, consisting of twelve stones engraved with the names of the twelve tribes of Israel. This represented all the people of Israel in God's heart.
Jesus is our great high priest, and He also has a plate hanging on Him with your name written on it. Jesus places you on His chest, the place of love, filling you with love, and you have strength.
Now He sits at the right hand of the Father; why does He sit down? Not because He is tired, but because He has completed the work of redemption and risen from the dead. He can supply us with everything we need.
Sharing Point One: Rest in the Completed Work of Jesus Christ, and You Will Have Strength
You must believe that Jesus has prepared all blessings for you; you just need to pray, and God will give them to you. Just like someone who works, you are assured that the boss's business is good, and your salary will be paid; this is the motivation to work. This is hope.
Before Jesus, you were in the love of Jesus Christ. You are in His provision, in blessings. We receive Christ's strength, facing life with His victory.
God created the heavens and the earth in six days. On the sixth day, He created man and then entered into rest. This means that God wants to bring us into His rest before we work. First, He blesses us, and then we can do things well. We are not here listening to the word in vain; you first receive the power of Jesus Christ, receive His strength, and then you can work.
Hebrews 1:3: He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high.
In the Old Testament, the priests offered sacrifices for the people every year. They stood there. Jesus Christ offered a single sacrifice and then sat down. In the Old Testament, they stood because their work was not yet complete. Jesus Christ sat down, representing that the work is finished. On the cross, He bore all our sins, all our sicknesses, all our worries, and all our curses, taking our place and rising from the dead.
After God raised Him, He still wanted to be with the disciples. On that Sunday, the disciples were very afraid, locked in a room praying, when Jesus suddenly appeared among them and said, in the original text, there is no meaning of “peace be with you”; Jesus meant: shalom, peace.
He is the one who gives His peace. When the disciples saw Him and saw the marks of the nails on His hands, they rejoiced. Jesus came among them, and they saw the work He accomplished; after rising from the dead, they were filled with joy.
When you know that Jesus is with you, you are filled with joy. I ask the brothers and sisters a question: On that day, if Thomas did not come, would he go to hell? Some places teach this; if you do not attend gatherings for a long time, God will not want you. We cannot judge whether a person will enter the kingdom of heaven or go to hell based on their attendance. The standard for salvation is whether they have accepted Jesus Christ in their hearts.
When Thomas did not come that time, when Jesus came again, He did not criticize him, saying, “Thomas, what a precious day; I have risen, and you were not here waiting. Where did you run off to? What could be more important than this?” Many churches criticize believers this way. “What could be more important than gathering? Even if you gain the whole world, what benefit is it to you?” Brothers and sisters, this kind of admonition is not wrong, but the words are misused.
Brothers and sisters, when Jesus said these words, He was not speaking in a condemning manner. Jesus meant to say, “There is one thing more important than this world, and that is your life.” Last Sunday, Thomas did not come; the following week, Jesus came specifically for Thomas.
John 20:26-28
Eight days later, his disciples were inside again, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe.” Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!”
Jesus did not criticize him; he indeed did not attend Sunday service and may have been busy with other things. Jesus wanted to show Thomas His faith so that his heart would no longer doubt. Brothers and sisters, do you see our Lord's love? What Jesus Christ gives me is always His love. When you are with Jesus Christ, you are completely changed.
Remember the last time we looked at the Passion of Jesus; there was a segment where Jesus was heavily beaten, and carrying the cross was very heavy. A Cyrenean helped Jesus carry it. At first, that person was unwilling, but later, when he helped Jesus carry it, he was changed. As long as you are with Jesus, you will be transformed. As long as you are willing, Jesus can change you.
You have believed in Jesus, do not let anyone take away your peace and joy; you are already with Jesus. You may not understand many things when you believe; Thomas also had many uncertainties. He said, “Unless I see the mark of the nails in His hands, and put my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into His side, I will never believe.”
Jesus said, “Come and touch.” After Thomas touched, what did he say? “My God! My Lord!” He meant to say, “So it is true. Truly, my Lord.” Thomas was a very rational person; he believed only after seeing and touching. God did not criticize such a person!
You should tell those around you not to wait until everything is clear before believing; believe first, and you will gradually understand. Previously, Thomas had doubts in his heart, but when he was with the risen Lord, he gained strength and believed.
Before Jesus' resurrection, the disciples also lacked faith. Jesus calmed the storm, healed lepers, and performed many miracles. Yet the disciples still doubted. On several occasions, Jesus said: “O you of little faith! Where is your faith?” Another time, Jesus said: “How long must I bear with you?” After Jesus Christ died and rose again, He never spoke such words again. At that time, Jesus wanted to give His strength completely to them because He had accomplished all the work; all power and authority are in Him, and He wants to give these to the disciples.
Why do we attend gatherings every week? Because we need to hear God's word every day; we need Jesus to comfort us. Just like Thomas, we may not see or hear, and we may doubt. No matter how strong you are, as long as you are away from God's word, you will still be weak. Therefore, every day, we need God's provision.
We come every week not because we must keep the law, and if we do not come, God will not be pleased with us, hate us, or strike us, but because we need His strength.
We need to come every week, just as we need to sleep every day to restore our strength. God's grace does not belong to this world because Jesus Christ does not belong to the world. If we look for it in the world, it is hard to find stable and lasting strength. But in Christ, you can find it.
Grace comes from Jesus Christ. When Jesus appeared to Thomas, He did not rebuke him; He wanted to change his doubting heart. He said, “Do not doubt, but believe.” If you meet such a Lord, can you not be joyful? Just like when you did something wrong, and He tells you not to be afraid; it is I. When Thomas was in doubt, He said, “Do not doubt, but believe.” He always gives comfort and encouragement to people. When we evangelize, we should bring the good news of Jesus to the world.
Very few people are willing to listen to words of accusation and condemnation. In the past, people evangelized like this: “Believe in Jesus to enter heaven; do not believe in Jesus and go to hell.” This kind of scare tactic cannot have a lasting effect and is unlikely to change people's lives. What people need is the grace and love of Jesus Christ. You need to let them rest in the love of Jesus Christ, so they can also gain strength and willingly follow.
Brothers and sisters, you did not come to church out of fear; you came because you saw His grace and His healing. You are willing to follow God. You should recall how you were attracted to Jesus Christ, and then you should love those around you with that same love. Let them also receive strength from here and be willing to be with Jesus Christ.
How can we receive this grace? Believe and you will receive it. If you do not believe, He is still there; you just cannot receive it. When we see Jesus in the kingdom of heaven, we will see everything we have believed in. Jesus spoke of many things in the kingdom of heaven and many things on earth. You cannot understand all these things, but that does not prevent you from receiving the strength of Jesus Christ. You say, “Lord, I indeed have many problems right now. I lay down my problems and receive your strength, receive your power.”
Let us receive His provision and rest in His word.
Matthew 9:28-29:
When he entered the house, the blind men came to him, and Jesus said to them, “Do you believe that I am able to do this?” They said to him, “Yes, Lord.” Then he touched their eyes, saying, “According to your faith be it done to you.”
According to the faith we receive, may it be fulfilled for us.
Jesus once said: “If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.” Many people interpret this scripture as: “If you have faith, you can accomplish something.” The original meaning is: “If you believe, I [Jesus] can do all things; I [Jesus] can accomplish it for you.” Here is the faith of Jesus Christ. If we keep focusing on our faith, how much faith do you have? Human faith is fluctuating. But Jesus' faith is stable and unchanging. You believe that Jesus can accomplish all things. This faith is not difficult.
Luke 17:5-6
The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith.” The Lord said, “If you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you.”
Brothers and sisters, do you know what the mountain represents? The mountain symbolizes the various burdens we encounter. Just like a great mountain pressing down on you, if you have even a little bit of faith, this difficulty will be removed. For us, these matters seem large and difficult, but for Jesus, is this kind of thing hard to accomplish? Do not look at your faith; look at Jesus' faith.
The blind man came to Jesus, and Jesus said: “Do you believe that I can do this?” Why did Jesus not say, “Do you have faith? If you have faith, I can do it for you!” Many people emphasize: “You must have faith!” You should pray. You must have faith that God can heal you.
However, very few people tell them to look to Jesus' faith. Just believe that Jesus can do all things.
Jesus said: “Do you believe that I can do this?” Do you believe that Jesus can accomplish such things for you? If your child is sick, do you believe Jesus can heal him? You say, “Lord, I believe you can.” Jesus will say, “According to your faith, it is done for you.” You believe that He can, not that you can.
When we believe that Jesus can, that faith becomes ours. “Lord, I believe you can.” Jesus' faith becomes yours. Without Jesus, how much faith do you have? If you put a sick person in front of you, what can you do? We become very weak, but we believe: He can. Because it has always been Him doing. We are just receiving what He has completed. Jesus said to Thomas, “You have believed because you have seen me; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”
Brothers and sisters, many times people only believe after seeing. True faith is believing because God’s word says so, and then being able to see.
In John 21, an event occurred after the resurrection of Jesus. Jesus was by the Sea of Galilee, and several disciples encountered some problems.
In verse 3, Simon Peter said to them, “I am going fishing.” They said to him, “We will go with you.” They went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing.
Jesus had risen, but the disciples did not know what to do! At this time, Peter said, “I am going fishing.”
Brothers and sisters, what is the problem?
Why do you receive the gospel today? Why do you believe in Jesus? Some people say, “My business is not good, so I believe in Jesus. After receiving grace here, I will go back to do business.” There is nothing wrong with this. You just need to know not to rely on yourself; otherwise, what is the use of believing in Him? If you believe in Him but still rely on yourself, it will be even more tiring.
Where is Peter's problem? He was a fisherman; three and a half years ago, one night, Peter fished all night and caught nothing. When he woke up feeling disheartened, a young man came and said, “Put out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.” At that time, Peter was half-believing, but he ended up catching two boats full of fish. God's word allowed him to see the miracle.
Three and a half years later, he went fishing again, still relying on himself. This is also the sorrow of many Christians. It is a pity that after believing in Jesus, they do not know to rely on Jesus. Since we believe in the Lord Jesus, we should act according to His words; this is to rely on His words.
When you were doing business before, you always hoped someone would come; why was no one buying? What should you do? Now that you believe in Jesus, you can pray in that place: “In the name of Jesus, bring people here. Because I have what they need, I will supply it to them.” When you pray this way, you are relying on God. God will accomplish everything according to your words.
That night, Peter caught nothing. Just before dawn, Jesus stood on the shore. Peter thought Jesus had gone back, and they needed to live. They forgot one thing: God wanted to spread the gospel to them and make them a channel of blessing. He would surely supply all their needs for life.
At that time, their understanding of Jesus was too limited. He accompanies us with grace every day, not just to save us and let us go home to sleep, wasting that grace. You need to use grace in your life. God gives us strength and grace so that we can work in His rest, witnessing and glorifying His name in our lives and work. Hallelujah!
Of course, the disciples are an exception because they were a group specially called out by Jesus Christ to serve Him full-time, just like me. But not everyone is like me, standing on the platform to preach is not the only way to serve. You should treat your work and family as places of service. The Lord was not there before; now the Lord is there. When you have the Lord by your side, learn to rely on Him in everything.
Point Two: Look to the Presence of Jesus; This is Your Strength
That night, Peter caught nothing, even though they were very experienced fishermen. Peter had fished for many years and knew when and where to catch fish. He knew where there would be a good harvest, yet after trying many times, there were no results.
Many people in the workplace, in their jobs, and in relationships are like the disciples. They put in a lot of effort but seem to gain nothing. The way people work is the same as Peter's; relying on themselves makes the outcome uncertain.
After repeated failures, many people become discouraged and desperate, not knowing how to live. When you exhaust your abilities, you will deny yourself. Why could Peter catch fish before but not now? Do you remember what Jesus called him to do?
Matthew 4:19 Jesus said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.”
When we believe in the Lord, the situation still does not change; what should we do?
Some people have worked hard in business for many years, and a single mistake can cost them everything they earned over the years. It seems that everything has become zero. This is similar to Peter's situation now. He caught nothing.
Look at today’s environment; the global economic situation is not optimistic. What are you looking at? Your strength comes from God. Do not complain, saying, “Lord, you cannot blame me. I need to work twice as hard; I only need to work six days a week, and I can come to the gathering on Sunday. In the past, business was good; people were not so deceitful, and there were not so many scammers. But now I must work harder because there are too many businesses. The global economy is in a downturn, so I need to put in more time and effort…”
Brothers and sisters, many people think that putting in more time will yield more. In fact, it is not so.
Children going to school are the same; many people teach their children, “You must work hard; get up at five in the morning and go to bed at eleven at night, and you will surely get good grades.” Do not demand such things from your children; this is not the best method. Let God give them wisdom; understanding easily is better than this method.
Where does your strength come from? It comes from the Lord who created the heavens and the earth. Learn to look to the resurrected Jesus Christ. In the kingdom of heaven, there is no economic crisis, and nothing is difficult for God. In the kingdom of heaven, there is only prosperity. The economy on earth is a parabola, while in heaven, it rises straight up. You should look to this God who never fails.
Do not say, “Lord, you do not know the pain I am suffering.” Jesus would say, “I know.” When I used to comfort others, someone said, “Teacher Ren, you are not in my family; you do not know the suffering I endure.” I said, “True. But Jesus knows.” Later, that person said, “Jesus does not know either…”
How could He not know? He understands all that we suffer; He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows. Does Jesus not know our pain? Can He not bear it? You must fully trust Him and pray, “Lord, give me strength.”
Learn to draw strength in His presence. Teach your children to pray before studying: “Lord, you are my wisdom; I do not need time to exchange for grades because you give me understanding and wisdom. I will understand in a short time.”
In business, it is the same: “Lord, grant me customers, grant me wisdom in my work. I do not need to be busy from morning till night like others to reap rewards.”
One word from Jesus can yield more than Peter's all-night efforts, so we must learn to rely on God.
Why did Peter not catch anything? Because he was relying on himself. At this time, Jesus came looking for them again. This is our Lord. When you are weak, He does not abandon you. He does not hate you; He seeks you. Think about it; when your child does something wrong, what is your first reaction? Some say, “Spank him.” If your child scores thirty points, what is your first reaction when you see the score? Last time we shared, that sister said, “I knew you would be like this.” Brothers and sisters, do not prophesy like that. You should comfort him.
Jesus did not say, “Peter, first bring the boat over to me; let me teach you a lesson. I trained you for three and a half years; where did you learn to use it?” Jesus did not speak this way.
At this time, the disciples were exhausted and had lost hope. Just before dawn, Jesus came and said, “Children, do you have any food?” This is a very affectionate term, like a parent calling their child. Hey…
Jesus said, “Cast your net on the right side, and you will find some.”
Brothers and sisters, do not make excuses to tell God, “Lord, I have already tried; there are no fish. The best time has passed; how can there be fish now?” Do not give God excuses; what you need to do is believe as He says. Just ask yourself: Is this what Jesus said? Can we believe it?
If your family is constantly in conflict, I ask you a question: Is Jesus there?
If your business repeatedly fails, you need to ask one thing: Is Jesus there?
If you are always disliked by others, if people at work dislike you, if family and friends dislike you, you need to ask one thing: Is Jesus in the first place in your heart?
You need to know that when you do not enjoy His presence, you will get such results. The devil continually attacks you until you completely give up on yourself. You come here, and you are sure Jesus is here. When you are here, you enjoy being with Him. Jesus gives us a promise: He will never forsake us, and He will never leave us.
Jesus stood by the lake, but they did not know it was Jesus. Jesus said, “Do you have anything to eat?” They said, “No.” Jesus said, “Cast your net on the right side, and you will find some.” They listened to this and cast their nets, and in verse 6: they cast their nets and were unable to haul it in because of the quantity of fish. They worked all night and achieved less than one word from Jesus.
Brothers and sisters, do not exchange time for blessings. Do you understand? Live according to the words of Jesus Christ, and your life will be easy and blessed. Jesus said, “Cast your nets on the right side, and you will find some.” Because Jesus' words say so, God will accomplish it.
When they cast their nets, you need to see this happening in the spirit; all the fish, no matter where you are, will come running here. And they are big fish. The Bible tells us that in verse 11: Peter went and pulled the net to shore, and the net was full of large fish.
Brothers and sisters, you should say, “The customers God gives me are not small; they are big clients.” Including those of you who have stores, God will bless not with small fish but with big fish. God's blessings are like this; when you know He is with you, you should enjoy the blessings that come from Him.
No matter what your marriage needs right now, what you need to do is cast your net on the right side;
No matter what happens in your family or your relationship with your children, what you need to do is cast your net on the right side.
No matter what difficulties you encounter at work, what you need to do is cast your net on the right side.
You will surely find it on the right side. Because the right side represents victory, righteousness, grace, and prosperity. Cast your net in the place of prosperity; how can you not catch anything? In life, we must look to the power of Jesus and not rely on ourselves as we did in the past. Pray about everything and give thanks in everything.
John 21:7 The disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is the Lord.” When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his outer garment, for he was stripped for work, and threw himself into the sea.
When your life lacks strength, facing a failing marriage or disobedient children, what you need to do is to look to the grace of Jesus Christ again; He is your strength. Do not be discouraged, and do not complain. Listen to God's word, continually hear the preaching, gain strength, and let God's word guide your life.
After they pulled the net to shore, it was full of large fish—153 in total. Although I have never fished, I think Peter's net could hold at most 153 large fish. It could not hold any more. The blessings God gives you are not half; He does not give you a few fish but fills you according to your capacity.
You should look to His faith and enjoy His rest. God will fill you according to the faith you recognize. This is what Jesus Christ did after His resurrection; He was with the disciples. Although they were weak and discouraged, Jesus still sought them, loving them forever.
Brothers and sisters, do not be afraid of what happens in your life. God has never forsaken you. What you need to do is look to His victory and His prosperity again. When you know He is with you, you regain strength. You will see better blessings and provisions in Christ.
Let us pray together:
Loving Heavenly Father, we especially thank and praise you! You know our weaknesses, but you have not forsaken us. Please give me strength to learn to rely on your words in everything.
I do not want to rely on myself anymore; it is too tiring. I want to look to the provision of Jesus Christ. We look to the provision in the kingdom of heaven. Because with Lord Jesus, there are always abundant blessings. Just like Isaac in the year of famine, God still gave him a hundredfold blessing.
A new week is beginning. I want to see your presence in my life, experience the power of your word. Please grant me wisdom so that I may have your wisdom in everything. In my family and work, I see your provision and guidance. I believe this week will be different. I expect good things to happen to me. I pray in the name of Lord Jesus Christ. Amen!