Loving God, bless and protect this dear reader today and all days. In Christ's precious name, amen.
"You are Peter and upon this rock I shall build my church. The gates of hell shall not prevail against it." (Matthew 16:18). This declaration comes from Jesus during an intense private conversation between He and the disciples. The question had been, "Who do people say that I am?" Jesus knew, but wanted to know what the disciples thought. The disciples, after all, had been among the people and they were the "eyes and ears" of Jesus. They shared what they had heard and while the entire conversation was not shared, it does share with us the highlights. Then Jesus changed the question into a more personal one; "Who do you say that I am?" It was Peter who said without doubt, "You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God." It was then that Jesus blesses Peter and makes the declaration we read above.
It was not much long after that that Peter, in the courtyard, cold and frightened about Jesus' future and his own, that he denied Jesus. Three times! Have we been able to limit our denials of Jesus to just three? Times where someone might have said someething negative about God or the Lord and we just grinned or grimaced, but said nothing? Times where we knew we were not to be some place, yet there we were and by being there we were denying Jesus? The list is long, dear friends, but as was shared here yesterday, God forgives repeatedly. It was Peter who questioned Jesus about how many times we should forgive and in His answer Jesus revealed the nature of God's forgiveness: "Not seven times, but seventy times seven." And in fairness to Peter, though he denied Jesus, Jesus kept him as the rock, upon which Christ built His church.
What has Christ called you to do and be? Have you moved forward after asking to be forgiven for those times you've denied Him? Or are you still there, holding the baggage of unforgiven and unremoved sin of your own doing? The message is this: If we go to God first and ask forgiveness, we are forgiven! Immediately! And with that same resurrection power, we can ask God to help us forgive ourselves. Satan loves it when we give up or when we do nothing. Ruin Satan's day by moving on.
PRAYER: Loving God, You more than anyone know how many times I have denied You, but I ask You forgive me and help me to forgive myself, so that I may go and grow. I ask this in Jesus' precious and powerful name, amen.
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord.
Eradio Valverde
