This year, it could be that God is asking you not to go back to something He has previously taken you out of. When life gets tough, or circumstances seem dark, when we have disappointed others and feel discouraged in our walk, the natural tendency is to return to the familiar and what used to be comfortable for us.

Even though that's not the best thing God has for us, we long for certainty in difficulty and security in confusion, so we go back to find something we thought we had lost. However, we will rarely find joy and blessing in returning to what God has called us to come out of. To welcome something new, sometimes we must say goodbye to something old.

In John 21, we see that Peter has gone back to fishing. Three years earlier, he had completely abandoned his nets to follow Jesus' call. However, feeling the weight of his failures, he returned to what he did best, seeking solace in his old way of life.

Peter spends the night fishing and doesn't catch anything. He tries his best, but achieves nothing. He fails at the one thing he's supposed to do well. Why? Because Jesus had called Peter to leave his nets and never told him to return to them.

God's call is always greater than our fall. We will never find success or satisfaction when we return to the areas from which God took us. There is no peace or contentment when we give in to something that God has already delivered us from. When God closes a door, He wants it to stay closed. Going back is no longer an option.

Once Peter is faced with his own inability (to even do what he is supposed to be good at), only then does Jesus show him where the fish are. When we follow what Jesus says, even if it makes little sense, there is abundance, provision, and blessing. Jesus then reaffirms Peter's original vocation. It reminds him of who he really is… not a fisher of fish, but a fisher of men.

If you spend all your time taking inventory of what you've lost, or going back to where you failed, you'll never invest in what's still left in the present. There's nothing behind you that's worth looking back on. Keep moving in the direction God has called you to.

Suggested Prayer: Dear Lord Jesus, thank you that you invite me to let go of everything that hinders me and cling to you. Even when things seem unknown and life looks uncertain, you promise me that you will never leave me or abandon me. This is my hope and confidence. In Jesus' name, Amen.

1.    John 21:17 (NIV).

Today's Encounter was written by: Rosina N.