“One of the high priest’s servants, a relative of the man whose ear Peter had cut off, challenged him, ‘Didn’t I see you with him in the garden?’ Again Peter denied it, and at that moment a rooster began to crow.” – John 18:26-27
Soon after Jolen Engle became a Christian in 1996, she wondered how Peter could deny the Lord after all the time he spent with Jesus. “Peter was completely devoted to Christ,” Jolen wrote. “So it just did not make any sense to me as to why or how he could deny the One True God.
I thought to myself, ‘I would never deny the Lord.’ Later, I would eat my words.”
But 13 years later, Jolen described her life: “When I got saved, my trials started immediately, and I had continued living in the storms ever since. My life before Christ was never as painful as my life was with Christ, yet, of course, what I had with Christ was eternal life and without Him was eternal damnation. However, thirteen years of pain, heartache, long-suffering, afflictions, persecution, broken relationships, spiritual warfare, etc. I was done!”
Then one Sunday, she went to church and felt isolated in a congregation of 2000 people. She left for the bathroom before the final song and when she returned she stood alone in the foyer. A woman, who Jolene had never met, was prompted by the Lord to approach her. The woman asked if she could pray for Jolene and Jolene replied “sure.”
The woman then prayed that Jolene: “Words she used were illness, healing, sickness, provisions, long-suffering, afflictions, strength for a warrior, and then she prayed that I would know and remember that God’s Word says, ‘He would never leave me nor forsake me.’
Tears came down my face as I heard this prayer that came straight from God.”
Many times we try to face the world alone without the love of Christ. Today in prayer, praise the Lord that He will never leave you nor forsake you.
“Oh, friends. We need to ask ourselves where we’re denying Jesus’ truth in our lives. Where are we denying Jesus’ healing? Or denying Jesus’ forgiveness — for ourselves or others? Where are we denying Jesus’ redemption? Where are we denying Jesus’ hope?” - Lysa TerKeurst
God’s Word: “The third time he said to him, ‘Simon son of John, do you love me?’ Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, ‘Do you love me?’ He said, ‘Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you.’ Jesus said, ‘Feed my sheep.’”
By Peter Kennedy, Copyright 2019, Devotional E-Mail
DEVOTIONS IN THE GOSPEL OF JOHN