hat the disciples were somewhat anxious about their bodily needs and
their supply. They did not realize that if they were doing Christ's
work, Christ would look after their real needs. Christ let them meet
with non-success to show how fruitless their toil was. And in the
morning, when He stood on the shore, He filled their nets with fish,
and called them to fire and bread and fish, to show how easily He could
supply all their need. Of course this does not apply to all
promiscuously, but it does apply to those who give up time, and labor,
and earthly toil, for the cause of Christ. If they are really called
to the work, Christ seems to say to them: "Do the best you can for Me,
and do not try in addition to make up for your time and labor by night
work--you had better use the night for necessary rest; the longest
night spent in unbelieving labor will not profit; but I in a single
moment in the morning can more than make up to you for all you have
spent." Christ never lets us be in His debt. If we lend Him a boat
for pulpit, He weighs it down to the gunwale. If we give Him time, He
makes up what we have lost. If we seek first the kingdom of God and
His righteousness, He sees that all things else are added. It is vain
for you to rise up early and to sit up late, to eat the bread of
carefulness. He giveth His beloved when they sleep.

What delicate attentions to these men! Christ knew that they were
drenched with spray, chilled with the keen air, and so He prepared a
fire--so thoughtful is He of the tiniest matters that will alleviate
discomfort and increase our pleasure. At the same time He is frugal of
the miraculous. He will deal lavishly in miracles so long as needed,
but not an inch beyond. He might have created fish enough on that fire
to supply them all, but that was needless so long as a hundred fifty
and three great fishes lay within easy reach; so Jesus said, "Bring of
the fish which ye have now caught."

When Peter heard John say, "It is the Lord," true to his character he
sprang into the sea and swam to shore, leaving the rest to drag the
heavy net as best they could. Now he seems to remember his failure to
bear his share in the toil; so he goes to the margin of the lake, lands
the net, counts its contents, and examines the meshes, to find them
unbroken, and then returns with fish enough to make a breakfast for
them all. It was only when all this was done that Jesus said to them,
"Come and dine.