Standing With Jesus

I have tried to live by a philosophy to decide ahead of time how I will respond to circumstances thrown my way. Unfortunately, I am not always successful, and when I am, it has been the result of years of numerous mistakes made. As I read today’s devotion in Experiencing God Day-By-Day, I was reminded that Peter who is revered as one of the great men of our faith, fell into the trap of making the wrong decision when confronted with the question about knowing Jesus.

Peter found himself distraught after Jesus was arrested. He had invested three years of his life following Jesus with his hopes now coming rapidly to an end. I’m sure that Peter was thinking much more about himself than he was Jesus. Then, when he was asked if he knew Jesus, he said, “no.” Peter would have never imagined himself denying Jesus, but he did.

It is interesting to note that this experience changed Peter’s life. His faith in Jesus was solidified at that moment to catapult him to be one of the great leaders of the Christian movement that changed the world. Then, when Peter was confronted with another final trying circumstance, he did not deny Jesus, and he was martyred for his faith.

We see ourselves in Peter. We will at times do the “unthinkable” to cover ourselves. Hopefully, we can also realize from the life of Peter that if we will use these experiences to strengthen our faith, we can grow to make better and better decisions when we have the opportunity to stand with Jesus.

Benny Stofer
Worship Pastor