God’s Not Done With You: Encouragement From the Bible's Greatest Comeback StoriesSample

Day 5: Peter

Sometimes life is not what we thought it would be. Or maybe it’s not all of life that seems misaligned, but a big piece is out of kilter and is seriously holding us back.

Somewhere in our grief, we look around us for someone to blame, and in the search, we land on God himself. Where were you? Why did you let this happen?

If you’ve felt this way before, you’re not far from where Peter is in John 21. He’s lost his grip on faith and has gone back to what he knew before—which was fishing. Jesus has died in what Peter perceives as a crushing defeat—and even though the tomb is empty, it’s not making sense to this fisherman yet. Peter’s plan for Jesus has bit the dust. He’s disillusioned.

The dictionary defines “disillusioned” as having lost one’s ideals, illusions, or ideas about someone or something. Peter was there. It’s true that Peter didn’t know the bigger plan, and it’s also true that he had some ideals and hopes about Jesus that were merely his own, but so do we.

And that’s why we are sometimes disillusioned, as well. It’s why we’re close to giving up.

And then Jesus shows up on the shore—while Peter and the others are in the boats after a miserable and fruitless night of fishing.

I love that Jesus comes to people in their doubt and disillusionment. He does this over and over! I love that he tells them to do something that seems ridiculous—that if they “cast the net on the right side of the boat,” they will “find some [fish]” (John 21:6).

Well, the disciples do what he says, and suddenly everything changes. The nets are so full that they cannot haul it all in. John sees the evidence, looks again at the shore, and says, “It is the Lord,” and Peter dives in the water to get to him.

What would you do at this point?

We usually run away from God when we’re disillusioned. This is what Peter was actually doing at the beginning of this story—he was rowing a boat away from the Lord until Jesus reached out, and now he is swimming back to Jesus on the shore. In the ensuing and amazing conversation that follows, Jesus restores Peter’s faith—and he never doubts again.

What Jesus does to help Peter, he can do for any of us.

When we have this kind of conversation with Jesus, he reminds us of who we are. He helps us remember how to trust him again, and he reminds us of how to love him again.

“[Peter] do you love me more than these? … Feed my lambs.” (John 21:15, ESV)

And then on the heels of that, “Follow me” (John 21:19, ESV).

Just as Jesus said, “Follow me” to Peter and the disciples in the beginning, he says it again on the other side of doubt and disappointment. “Follow me.” He’s saying that to you today.

God wasn’t done with Peter, and God’s not done with you. As you read Peter’s comeback story—and the stories of others—my prayer is that you’ll trust God with your own story.

For more encouragement from the Bible's greatest comeback stories, check out God's Not Done With You.