Friday, April 2, 2010

Begin your time with God by reading the following verses…

When they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives. "You will all fall away," Jesus told them, "for it is written: ‘I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered.’ But after I have risen, I will go ahead of you into Galilee." Peter declared, "Even if all fall away, I will not." "I tell you the truth," Jesus answered, "today — yes, tonight — before the rooster crows twice you yourself will disown me three times." But Peter insisted emphatically, "Even if I have to die with you, I will never disown you." And all the others said the same.
- Mark 14:26-31

It is hard to blame the Peter and the other disciples for their bold promises of loyalty and faithfulness to their master.

Think about it for a minute…what would you have said to Jesus if He told you that He was going to have to die and you were going to desert Him? Would have said; "Gee that sounds depressing, I hope I don’t blow it Jesus?"

The disciples weren’t being insincere; they meant what they said at the time. They just didn’t have any idea of what was to come later that night and they didn’t have any idea of what was really in the depths of their own hearts. Of course we know that Peter will deny his Lord and they will all desert Jesus when He needed them most.

It is not that Peter does not love Jesus, he does! He loves Him very much and his devotion in that moment is genuine. But Jesus knows Peter (and us) completely. He knows that none of us posses a love or devotion strong enough to overcome our fear, insecurity and sinfulness.

No disciple, then or now, can remain perfectly faithful to Jesus purely in their own strength. They could not, and neither can you.

What Peter (and the others) will discover later when they meet the resurrected Christ is that it is not the strength of their love for Jesus that matters, but it is the strength of His love for them!

Do you love Jesus? (It is okay to say yes…) If you love Jesus at all it is because He has loved you first and enabled you to love Him! This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. – 1 John 4:10

Lord Jesus I confess that although I love you, I am still weak and unfaithful, but I praise you that my salvation does not depend on the strength of my commitment to you, but on the unbreakable power of Your love for me! - Amen

Jeff Frazier