When God Says …
“And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat: but I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren.” (Luke 22:31-32 KJV).
These passages show a reassuring picture of our Lord Jesus Christ interceding for us, as He does to Apostle Pater. These highlight that our Lord does not condemn Peter for his self-confidence, as we too act the same, but instead prays for his faith ahead of time and guarantees his eventual restoration and purpose. Our Lord knowing of Peter’s attitude of relying on his own human strength-as we too do, these serve as alert to Peter for his upcoming test of faith. This alerts us too! We also note that God allows us to come to the "end of ourselves" through trials so we stop trusting our own fleshly “good work” of self- effort.
Our Lord knows that Peter would fail, by the enemy’s sifting. Yet He did not say, "If you fail." Rather He assured him positively "When you have returned...” edifying Peter to not ran away from grace. We have to keep returning back by faith to grace in the Person of our Lord Jesus Christ. Hence, His prayer wasn't that Peter wouldn't stumble, but that his faith would not ultimately fail. This emphasizes that because our Lord Jesus is our intercessor at the Father's right hand (1 John 2:1), His prayers are always answered.
Our Lord Jesus tells Peter and us to "strengthen your brethren" after we have turned around. He puts us in the know that our failures and subsequent recovery by grace qualify us not for guilt, but to comfort and lift up others who struggle, as well. Through Christ Jesus, Scriptures assure us with these words: “And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you. To him be the dominion forever and ever. Amen.” (1 Peter 5:10-11 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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