To hear this Morning Devotion, please click — The moment we hate
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The most painful moment in the Apostle Peter’s life was not when he was, according to some historians, crucified upside down.
Yes, that was a horrible thing with intense suffering.
But I believe that something else caused him more pain in the core of his being, something that we’ve all shared with him to one extent or another.
I’m talking about that heart-piercing, spirit-crushing moment when we realized that our sinful betrayal of Christ has occurred right in front of His face.
To repeatedly sin in a way that we promised would never happen is bad enough.
But to be caught red-handed doing so and know that the Lord was watching us the whole time — that’s a crushing realization.
It makes you want to go away and cry.
Just like Peter did.
“Peter replied, ‘Man, I don’t know what you’re talking about!’ Just as he was speaking, the rooster crowed. The Lord turned and looked straight at Peter. Then Peter remembered the word the Lord had spoken to him. ‘Before the rooster crows today, you will disown me three times.’ And he went outside and wept bitterly” (Luke 22:50-52).
Peter never forgot that moment when the rooster crowed and then he saw Jesus looking straight at him.
Talk about drama.
The apostle wasn’t flawless for the rest of his life, but the powerful boldness that he later showed in the face of religious opposition was rooted, I believe, to the transforming lesson he learned from this experience.
What Satan intended as a backbreaker actually was turned into a vital building block for a stronger, more determined life of personal ministry.
Dear friend, whenever you fall into Satan’s trap of rejecting Christ’s authority over part of your life — and you choose to sin — God will make sure that, sooner or later, you hear the rooster crowing via the convicting voice of the Holy Spirit and feel the piercing sting of knowing Jesus saw the whole thing.
When that happens, please don’t run away from Jesus so that you can cry in isolation.
Instead, run to Jesus with your confession of sin and your cry for forgiveness.
His eyes will be looking straight at you, not in disgust for having created you but instead in the hope that you’ll repent and allow Him to restore you.
Never forget that He loves you.
Never forget that He desires a relationship with you and can transform your disappointing choices into appointments for mercy.
As always, I love you
Martin
