September 30, 2024 Daily Dose of Discernment

“Go away from me Lord, for I am a sinful man!” “Do not fear, from now on you will be catching men.” (Luke 5:8, 10)

Peter's reaction reveals man’s wrong perception of who God is and His benevolent divine nature. When we realize our sinfulness, our impulse is to stay away from Him. Technically, we cannot do that because He’s everywhere. But because of guilt, we quit praying or going to church, thinking we’re not worthy to stand in His presence and serve Him. But He sees differently. He brings His light where it's needed. And when He does, He consumes our darkness.

Whenever such episode comes, the last thing we should do is tell God to depart from us. Because that’s when we need Him and His grace all the more. We should run to Him, not away from Him. That doesn't mean we need Him less at other times. But if we constantly dwell in the house (i.e., presence) of the Lord, goodness and lovingkindness will follow us all the days of our lives.