When God Says …
“Verily, verily, I say unto thee, When thou wast young, thou girdedst thyself, and walkedst whither thou wouldest: but when thou shalt be old, thou shalt stretch forth thy hands, and another shall gird thee, and carry thee whither thou wouldest not. This spake he, signifying by what death he should glorify God. And when he had spoken this, he saith unto him, Follow me.” (John 21:18-19 KJV).
Apostle Peter thought he was ready for anything. He wasn't. He failed the Lord bigly just before the Lord was crucified. The Lord Jesus told him of it before it happened, saying: "this very night before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times" (Matthew 26:34). Peter argued with the Lord, and in one instance he even rebuked the Lord Jesus, when He foretold His death and resurrection. He was harshly chastised by the Lord Jesus for it of course, by telling Peter "get behind me Satan!" (Matthew 16:23). Here in this moment, Peter had just been humbled by his own failures and been made aware that true discipleship is founded in humility. Now, he’s been made ready to follow. We, as well, reflecting on these passages, should set ourselves ready to follow.
The risen Lord Jesus Christ gave Peter a preview of his and our life’s journey as believers. Like lambs and sheep, we go through the process of growing. As young believers we tend to rely in our self effort. As we grow in faith, we become conscious and dependent on the Holy Spirit to equip, lead and guide us where to go. With the symbolism of stretched hands, the Lord hinted Peter that his path would lead to him to die in a manner similar to the Lord’s death. In fact, He let Peter know that his future was directly tied to the crucifixion of his Lord. Yes, there is cost to bear in following our Lord, but the result is life. Out of His love, the Lord Jesus said to him, and to us too: "Follow me!"
As His redeemed by grace through faith, let us therefore be reminded by these Words of Christ Jesus our Lord, as it is written: “And whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.” (Matthew 10:38-39 ESV).
And I say, AMEN!
Daily reflections by:
F. A. Frias
PFC Ministries
When God says... I say, AMEN! is a provocative reflection of the Lord's holy Word. It intends to challenge every seeker of truth to dig deep into the core of the Word of Life to point every being to Christ Jesus - the author and finisher of our faith, and to draw revelations for change, for nourishment and for strength of every soul.
Partners For Christ Ministries, INC
P. O. Box 773716
Ocala, FL 34477
Touching lives in Cambodia, The Philippines, The Middle East, The USA, and... other countries.
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