He didn't start with words
As I’ve prepared these devotionals, this image has stayed with me.
Peter, swimming to shore after the worst few days of his life. He had denied Jesus three times, looked him in the eye and said he didn’t know him, then watched from a distance as Jesus died. And now Jesus was alive - and Peter had to face him.
I imagine he was rehearsing what he’d say. Bracing himself for the look on Jesus’ face.
What he got was the smell of fish on a charcoal fire and a voice calling over the water.
“Come and have breakfast.”
No lecture. No “we need to talk.” No careful, serious opening about everything that had gone so badly wrong. Just warmth, food, and presence.
And here’s what struck me most this week: God does this twice in Scripture. Centuries before, Elijah collapsed under a broom tree in the desert and told God he just wanted to die. What was God’s first response? Not a rebuke. Not even a word of comfort. An angel brought fresh bread and a jar of water.
“Get up and eat. The journey ahead will be too much for you.”
Before the still small voice on the mountain. Before any commission or calling. He made sure Elijah had enough strength to stand.
The pattern is identical. Before the hard question, before the conversation they are dreading, he feeds his broken friend first.
I think most of us expect God to lead with a serious conversation about everything we’ve got wrong. What he leads with is care.
And the invitation in that - for us, today - is a simple one. Before you say the wise thing, do the small thing. Make the tea. Drop the meal round. Send the message with no agenda attached. Just: I’m thinking of you.
That is not a small thing. That is a profound act of grace.
If you’d like to sit with this for five minutes, today’s full devotional is on YouTube here:
Until tomorrow.
Rob
Read this week’s devotionals here - https://open.substack.com/pub/battledrilldevotional/p/have-you-ever-felt-like-youve-blown?r=643q6o&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true