“And the Lord appeared unto him (Abraham) in the plains of Mamre: and he sat in the tent door in the heat of the day.” Genesis 18:1
Dear Ones:
The Lord “visits” us when He deems so at the appropriate moment, and usually in a manner that we are not expecting. After the resurrection, when things had relatively “calmed down,” there came a moment when Peter told some of the other disciples that he was going fishing. They went with him, and that night, “…they caught nothing.” John writes that “Jesus showed Himself again to the disciples at the sea of Tiberias.” (Jn. 21:1) It was early morning, the disciples had caught nothing, were weary and certainly hungry. Jesus is standing on the seashore, but they do not know that it is Him. He then reveals to them that it is Himself by performing a most extraordinary miracle concerning a “multitude” of fish. The point is that the disciples were NOT anticipating that the Lord would reveal Himself to them at this time, and in this manner. Why does the Lord reveal Himself to the disciples at this most inopportune moment? Most certainly there are two basis reasons. The first is that He would have their attention, and demonstrate to them that it is Himself. The unexpected, or surprise visit, serves to accentuate the reality of His presence, Person, and purpose. The second reason is that the Lord has something to say at that point in time which is very important, so critical to faith and the realization of His purposes.
In the case of Abraham, it would be the moment when He would reveal to him that the time had come for the “miracle” of a son to be born to a man of ninety-nine years old, and a woman of ninety. He would be the son of the promise, the heir of the covenant, the “seed” which God would bless, and through whom, as with Abraham, “…all the families of the earth would be blessed.” For the disciples, it was a moment to encourage them in their faith. Specifically, it was a moment when the Lord would address the central, and most basic need, in the heart of Peter. It would be a moment of reckoning, but a moment of great consolation and encouragement.
From a natural standpoint, for Abraham, “…in the heat of the day,” was not a good time for a visit. Even so, he was ready, running to serve the Lord, and to hear what He would say to him. He would even be ready to intercede for the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah in the event that there were only a few “righteous” folk remaining in them.
For Peter and the disciples, when the morning light began to shine on the sea, after a long and uneventful night, it was not the ideal time for a visit. And yet, the Lord had chosen that moment, in that place, to certainly make the greatest impression on the disciple’s hearts and minds. They too would respond to His call, though they did not recognize it was him. In other words, they were responsive and open.
Do we look in expectation of seeing the Lord, and hearing what He has to say to us? Sometimes, there is a moment of great and singular importance, when He “comes” at a most inopportune time. But He does so to arrest our attention, and command our faith and affection. Let us trust Him to reveal Himself to our hearts and minds today, in whatever circumstance He may choose. And may we respond by “running,” or “casting our nets on the right side of the ship.” Then we shall hear what He will say to us.
Dear Father, God of all circumstance, reveal Thy Son to us this day by the Spirit. Enable us to hear Thy voice in Thy word, so that in the circumstances of Thy choosing, we shall see Your hand, and fall at Your feet. O Lord, be to us all that You desire, that we may in turn be all that we can be to Thee. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Love, Dad