Jesus said to them, “Come and have breakfast.” (John 21:12)
This invitation from Jesus to His disciples was given after His resurrection and just prior to His ascension. Jesus met His disciples on the shore of the Sea of Galilee and provided another meal for them. After the meal, Jesus reinstated Peter and told him to go out and feed His sheep. As much as this was a word of both consolation and confirmation for Peter, it is a word of instruction to us all. We are all fed by our Master so that we might feed others in our ministry of service to Him. We eat the bread of heaven to bless the people of earth. The strength we receive from our Savior is to be used in His service to strengthen others.
We are to be conduits of all that God has given to us. We are not to be cul-de-sacs, where the flow of grace terminates with us. Every gift that has been poured out on us is to flow through us to those whom God brings into our lives. We are fed at the Master’s table day and night—not just to be filled, but to fill others. When we are no longer called by our God to feed others, we can be assured that we will have eaten our last meal on this side of the Jordan. But until that day comes, let us continually feed upon the grace of our God so that we can feed others.
Take even a cursory glance at the life of Peter from Pentecost on, and you will see this principle in supernatural action. Peter fed daily upon the Paschal Lamb, and daily he went about feeding others for the glory of God and the expansion of His kingdom. After Peter preached his first sermon, we read that “Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day” (Acts 2:41). Peter understood that every meal he received from the hand of His Lord was intended to strengthen him for his ministry to his Master and to others.
The question you must ask yourself is: “Do I understand that?” When was the last time you thought about the biblical principle of being fed to feed others?
The children of Israel were instructed to eat the Passover meal in a very specific way: “With your cloak tucked into your belt, your sandals on your feet and your staff in your hand. Eat it in haste.” (Exodus 12:11). To be sure, God was preparing His people for an immediate exit out of their bondage in Egypt, yet the meal was eaten with ministry in mind. This truth is confirmed by the way they came to the table dressed for action.
I pray these words will encourage you today as you consider the bounty God has given to you. You have been blessed to bless others. You have received to respond to others. And you have been fed to feed others. May this be the confession of our lives.
This is the Gospel. This is grace for your race. NEVER FORGET THAT . . . AMEN!
Grace for the Race 