Matthew 26:75 "And Peter remembered the word of Jesus, which said unto him, Before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice. And he went out, and wept bitterly."
I was talking with someone last night about failing the Lord and how to keep going after having done that. I can speak from experience on this issue as I'm sure many if not all of us can. I have failed Him many, many times. Yet when I realize I have failed Him and I come to Him about that failure He is always there to forgive me and set me back on track.
Peter knew about failure. He failed the Lord when he denied Christ three times. Even though Peter denied the Lord three times and failed Him like he did...God still saw fit to use him to pen the books of I and II Peter in the Word of God. What made the difference is that Peter saw his failure and learned from it. Peter did not let his failure keep him down and out.
In I Peter 5:6 "Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time:" I believe God is using Peter as he writes to encourage us. We are not to fight the sovereign hand of God. In times of despair and failure...it can seem like an eternity waiting for God to hear our prayers of confession and humility. We feel as though God is a million miles away during these times...but He is not. He is with us...waiting and willing to forgive.
Maybe you have failed the Lord in some area of your life. The best thing to do is face your failure...confess it and turn from it. Your experience with failure could help other Christians when they are going through a downfall. God desires to use each experience we go through to help someone else. Thank the Lord when we can take our downfalls and turn them into blessings in someone else's life.
7 comments:
What a great post. After walking with the Lord for over 40 years, I can testify that this is true. Just as we are grieved when our children do the wrong thing, we long to forgive and love on them. How much more the Father!
It also helps me to realize that He's not standing over me with a big stick waiting to whack me....but is grieved when I lack the faith to trust that His righteousness can satisfy. He knows us. Psalm 103:8 The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy.
9He will not always chide: neither will he keep his anger for ever.
10He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities.
11For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him.
12As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.
13Like as a father pitieth his children, so the LORD pitieth them that fear him.
14For he knoweth our frame; he remembereth that we are dust.
anonymous...thank you so much for your encouraging comment. God is certainly merciful and gracious toward His children!!
This is a good post. I'm very tired and exhausted however I think I managed to still get something out of it lol.
katy-anne...I'm so sorry to hear you are so exhausted. Unfortunately that comes with expecting a baby this time of year. I'm praying for you!!
This little one is taking everything out of me and I still have a week or two left haha.
Wonderful post, Sis Julie. I fail the Lord every single day. I'm so glad He is faithful and just! I'm thankful that Peter was inspired, aren't you?? :)
~Kristi
sis. kristi...yes ma'am I am very thankful Peter was inspired. Had God not used Him to be an example of being a man who failed God but God choosing to use him anyway I think a lot of us would have given up after our first failure and sat down and not done anything for God. Thank God for the examples in God's Word that we are given of who failed God but were used mightily in spite of it.
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