"Simon, stay on your toes. Satan has tried his best to separate all of you from me, like chaff from wheat. Simon, I've prayed for you in particular that you not give in or give out. When you have come through the time of testing, turn to your companions and give them a fresh start."Have you ever felt like you were being singled out? Going through something that you feel you don't deserve? How do you respond? Do you retreat, trying to stay away from others to be alone to wallow in your misery? Or maybe you find yourself lashing out at anyone and everyone, forcing them to taste your suffering. Why do you think God allows some people to go through some trials while others seem to always have everything go their way?
The devil works through our weakness, feeding us lies that we cultivate and allow to fester when things don't go our way. Remember that nothing happens without God's permission, and that sometimes he allows us to go through some things so that we have a testimony to share with those around us. This is exactly the situation we find Simon Peter in.
THE SCENE: after the Lord's supper, before Jesus goes to the Mount of Olives to pray (before his arrest).
THE SCENE: after the Lord's supper, before Jesus goes to the Mount of Olives to pray (before his arrest).
When Jesus first selected Simon to be a disciple, he changed his name to Peter (or Cephas), meaning rock. He planned for Peter to be one of the primary players in the foundation of the church following his death, but at this point he is not yet ready. He has the enthusiasm of a good disciple, boldly claiming that "[he is] ready to go with [Jesus] to prison and to death" (v. 33), yet he still manages to deny his relationship with Christ not once, but three times that very same day.
Stay on guard against the devil's lies, particularly when you find yourself getting into a rut. When it seems like God's not listening and things are falling apart around you, it's time to elevate your witness. Perhaps the lessons you learn now will come in handy down the line when you won't have the time to go through all the steps and you'll need to go straight to the answer. Perhaps you'll come away with a testimony that helps someone else you haven't even met yet. Fixate on God's goodness, and the things you take for granted that he has afforded you. Don't give up on God, because he certainly will not give up on us, no matter how much we deserve it.
-AMR
Stay on guard against the devil's lies, particularly when you find yourself getting into a rut. When it seems like God's not listening and things are falling apart around you, it's time to elevate your witness. Perhaps the lessons you learn now will come in handy down the line when you won't have the time to go through all the steps and you'll need to go straight to the answer. Perhaps you'll come away with a testimony that helps someone else you haven't even met yet. Fixate on God's goodness, and the things you take for granted that he has afforded you. Don't give up on God, because he certainly will not give up on us, no matter how much we deserve it.
-AMR
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment