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An Uncertain Future?
"Peter said unto him, Lord,
why cannot I follow thee now? I will lay down my life for
thy sake.
Jesus answered him, Wilt thou lay down thy life for my sake?
Verily, verily, I say unto thee, The cock shall not crow,
till thou hast denied me thrice."
John 13:37, 38
None of us knows what lies in store for our
future; this is a fact. Even with our best guess, we many
times end up disappointed when we witness the real outcome.
We say in our hearts that we can control our own destiny,
but what is it that controls our hearts? The Apostle Peter
had no intentions in his forthcoming actions to deny Christ.
Yet, under certain circumstances, we just do not know what
to do or how to react to the situations in which we find
ourselves. This is what happened to Peter; he found himself
in a situation of uncharted waters, so to speak. He had
never experienced this type of situation before and
therefore he did not know how to react properly. The Lord
wanted Peter to see that if left to ourselves, we do not
have the ability to make the proper decisions when the time
comes. No doubt, Peter did not intend to deny Christ and if
asked, he surely would protest against this suggestion of
treachery. Nobody wants to fail at anything God puts across
his or her path, but sometimes, failure itself is the most
valuable teacher in the world. It is only then we can truly
see our unmistakable limitations. Peter miserably failed the
test in which he found himself, but realized his true
weaknesses for the first time in his life. Nevertheless, and
more importantly, he was given a second opportunity to face
his Lord and admit his shortcomings with a humble and
contrite heart. Peter not only faced himself but found
himself exposed to the truth; however, a remedy was nearby.
God does not allow us total personal devastation without
some recourse for recovery. God's intentions are to help us
to know ourselves better and make the necessary corrections
as we encounter setbacks. The Lord wants us to be successful
in all areas of our lives. He loves us with an unconditional
love, but it does entail experiencing some most unfortunate
circumstances. Another verse of Scripture that reminds me of
a remedy that God provides for us all is "the truth will
set you free.” You might ask free from what. The truth
of matters has the ability to set one free from them selves.
However, all of this comes with the heartaches and troubles
of life, yet adds to our experience in the healing process
that we need so desperately so we can finish life’s race. In
the end, God receives all of the glory because it is He that
enables us to reach out and help others facing similar
situations. Therefore, there is purpose in everything we do,
and that includes failure.
Let us pray:
Holy Father, I praise you for your love and
compassion for all mankind and me. I praise you for your
wisdom and abilities to make the necessary, but proper
changes in my personal life. When I examine myself according
to your Word, I discover that I come up so short in every
way. Your Holy Word shows me and proves to me what kind of
person I really am. I praise you Lord, for being patient and
long-suffering towards me in all my weaknesses. I love you
Lord because of your unconditional love towards me. Even the
vilest of sinners can come to you and ask for forgiveness.
Such was I. I praise you for the Blood of the Lamb that
cleanses me from all unrighteousness and guilt. I praise you
Lord for forgiveness of sins and trespasses. I thank you for
your blessings of today and I pray that we go with safety,
in Jesus name I pray, AMEN.
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