Peter's Denial

"Peter said to him, Lord, I am ready to go with you both to prison and death. Jesus said, "I tell you, Peter, the rooster will not crow three times this day, until you deny me three times that you do not know me" (Luke 22:33-34)

Peter's response resonates with me: In the height of spiritual fervor, Peter thinks he is finally ready to give Jesus his "100%," but Jesus knew what was in the heart of man. It was why He came into the world. We have an complete inability to earn God's favor on our own. Jesus, in His omniscience, knew what Peter was going to do in all of its horrible detail. That's what omniscience means--Jesus knows all of our pasts and all of our futures in full HD.

Considering this, I got to thinking about the times I come to Jesus, promising to do all sorts of things for Him: "Oh yea! I'm gonna tackle the Word. I'm gonna do this and that, I'm ready to do anything for you Lord." Little do I know that, in under an hour, I'll end up screaming at a car that cuts me off, or fall into some other sin.

Yet, this passage is not just another reminder about the depravity of man; it reveals something extraordinary about the God we serve, His faithful love. He knows everything we are going to do, and yet does not cast us off. Though Peter denied Jesus, the Lord of all, Jesus never denied Peter. As Christians, we can be comforted by the fact that our sin does not take God by surprise. He knows what we are going to do in EXACT detail. It did not stop him from going to the cross. And because of the cross, we can have confidence that God is always pleased with us, and that He is doing something real and absolutely effective about our sin.

So, do you find yourself you discouraged by your failures or taken by surprise by your sin? Don't be, God's not. He is saying to you, "I know you failed, I knew you were going to fail the last time you came to me in prayer, and exactly when and how. But you are still my child, what you did was paid for with the blood of my son, you are justified."

This does not mean we should be slacking in personal holiness, but should enable us to pursue holiness in the freedom of knowing, "Nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord"(Romans 8:39).

Beautiful Timing

"For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for your welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope." (Jeremiah 29:11)

"He has made everything beautiful in its time" (Ecclesiastes 3:11)

I am so impatient. I love the Jeremiah verse, but I don't know about you, but I find myself wondering most of the time, "ok, so when are these plans gonna happen?" I wanna know the when, more than I want to take God at his word. Waiting is hard, sometimes I adopt an attitude of, "you know NOW would be a good time for you to do this." The verse in Ecclesiastes has been an encouragement to me. This verse always helps me to remember, that God's timing is so much superior to my own. In my sinful arrogance, I actually believe I know when God should deliver and do things, that God should work to my time table. But I am realizing more and more that I need to trust the he is good in his dealings with his children and he is good in the timing of everything. Waiting is hard, and it stinks but that waiting should not lead me to impatience and bitterness, but should drive me to cling to Christ even more. We are called to trust that not only will he do good, but that his timing is good as well. This verse says it's BEAUTIFUL! This is a great promise that we can trust.

Don't give into impatience or cynicism, remember God does have good plans for you, and we are to take him at his word, not question the when or how or whatever, but follow and trust the one who says so. His timing will always be better than you can dream. Rest in his word, not how you feel. He is for you and wants you to trust him.

Does The Lord Hear My Cries?

Have there been times in your prayer life, when you feel like you're unable to put into words what you're feeling? or that your lack of appropriate language will jeopardize you prayers? I often wonder whether God really hears me. I often get really frustrated and then discouraged because I think that God won't hear me if I can't put my anxieties, feelings, or thoughts into words correctly. I foolishly believe that God's faithfulness to hear my prayers is contingent on me having adequate words. This bit of scripture and quote from theologian A.W. Pink returned to my attention and greatly encouraged me. We Christians come to a heavenly father who truly cares for us, communication will never be a problem with God. He knows, he hears, and will care for us.

"It shall come to pass that before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking I will hear" (Isaiah 65:24)

There is no cause for fearing that the petitions of the righteous will not be heard, or that their sighs and tears shall escape the notice of God, since he knows the thoughts and intents of the hearts. There is no danger of the individual saint being overlooked amidst the multitude of supplicants who daily and hourly present their various petitions, for an infinite mind is as capable as paying the same attention to millions as if only one individual were seeking its attention. So too the lack of appropriate language, the inability to give expression to the deepest longing of the soul, will not jeopardize our prayers ("The Attributes of God")

Happy New Year!

In a matter of hours we will be celebrating the beginning of a new year. I am looking forward to celebrating with some good friends. Reading through tweets and posts, I see a lot of people hoping 2011 will be better than 2010. For some there's been heartache and losses. I have had my share of junk, but I have also remembered good. I have seen and rejoice in God's faithfulness in the lives of my brothers and sisters in Christ. I remember that while I've had a lot of failures this past year, God's faithfulness has remained and I have not frustrated his plans for me. His love for me all through the past year never shifted. So with the new year about to come in I pray this prayer for us all:

Heavenly Father, as I sit quietly before you on the eve of a New Year, I’ve got a healthy case of sad and glad going on inside of me. As I reflect over the past year, both of these emotions dance about, more like allies than enemies… for both are evidence the gospel is at work.

The glad? The highlights and headlines of the past twelve months compel me join the Psalmist, in praising you for your love and your faithfulness. Abba, as with each of your children, you loved me all year long with an everlasting, engaged, unwavering love…irrespective of anything I did or didn’t do. You didn’t love me more when I acted like your beloved child. You didn’t love me less when I acted like an orphaned fool.

You loved me every moment just as much as you love your Son, Jesus, for you’ve hidden my life in his. Thank you, for your steadfast love and fresh mercies that came every single day this past year… when I was aware of them and when I wasn’t. Great is your faithfulness. Concerning my life, you did everything this past year that pleases you. Not one of your plans devised for me was foiled or failed. This makes me very glad.

The sad? It’s precisely because you love your children so irrepressibly that I also feel grief in my breast. There were more than a few times this past year when I joined the nations in saying, “So where is your God?” You usually heard this complaint from me when you were busying doing what pleases you, and not what pleases me. When I wanted a butler you remained God. When I wanted a masseur you remained Master. Those were the times I began to look to my voiceless, sightless, senseless, powerless idols more than I trusted you. I own and grieve my foolishness.

Father, here’s where the gladness trumps the sadness. I will not always be a man in two minds with a divided heart. You will bring to completion the good gospel-work you’ve begun in each of your children. One Day we’ll no longer even be tempted to worship anything or anyone but you. Hasten that glad and glorious Day.

Until that Day, even on the eve of a New Year, prepare us for the next twelve new months of groaning and growing in grace. Bring much glory to yourself, as the gospel does its work in and though our lives. So very Amen, we pray, in Jesus’ faithful name.

(scotty smith)