Winston Churchill once delivered a speech in a school and spoke these legendary words: "Never, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, give up. Never give up. Never give up. Never give up." It was one of the shortest and most powerful speeches he had ever delivered in his long political career.

If you are tempted to give up, don't!

When Peter’s faith was shaken, he went back to fishing (John 21:3). However, the fishing was not enough to compensate for his failure. It exposed it. He failed at something he was genuinely good at and enjoyed because he did not catch anything. The empty net represented Peter's heart. There was a void to be filled, and only Jesus could do it.

We, too, have "void-fillers" like Peter. We fill the emptiness within ourselves with distractions and busy work. The void in us, however, does not fill and instead grows larger. A miracle happened when Jesus appeared. The previously empty net was now brimming with fish (John 21:11) Only His presence and power may satisfy our deepest longings.

Jesus queried Peter:

“Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me more than these? He said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.”

John 21:15 (NKJV)

 

 “These” probably refers to Peter’s fishing gear. Jesus was asking Peter to assess the priority of his love, “Do you love Me more than these?” It was a touching question. Peter's love for Jesus had never faded, but he needed to hear himself say it. It was the turning point in his life. When Peter recognised Jesus had never given up on him, he discovered inner peace and the strength to begin again. Thus, even when your faith is weak and your joy is gone, you must never give up because God will never give up on you.