Skip to main content

Where No One wants to go...

John 21:16-18
"16 He saith to him again the second time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou Me? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; Thou knowest that I love Thee. He saith unto him, Feed my sheep.
17 He saith unto him the third time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou Me? Peter was grieved because He said unto him the third time, Lovest thou Me? And he said unto Him, Lord, Thou knowest all things; Thou knowest that I love thee. Jesus saith unto him, Feed my sheep.
18 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 is a beautiful moment! With our modern eyes we can see something very clinical transpires here; Peter's failure and Jesus' crucifixion had caused Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) in Peter. Now, this morning meeting on the seashore around the coal fire, surrounded by friends is what doctors today call "Imagery Re Scripting and Reprocessing Therapy" a part of Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT). Jesus is repairing Peter's past; three times Peter denied he was a Disciple of Jesus, now three times Peter professes his love to Jesus in front of the other Disciples. If you and I will spend the time studying God's word and worshiping Him on a daily basis; GOD will meet you on the shore. Just like this loving picture of Jesus and His Disciples where His Therapy is healing and restoring! 

If your and my experience is not literally like St. Peter's, maybe we will miss out on the next blessing that Jesus prophesied for Peter; "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." 

We can see ourselves in the Apostle Peter; in his youth he walked on the balls of his feet. He was prepared to take on all commers and did! Successfully and unsuccessfully. As he matures so does his challenges and eventually his opponents will carry him to his death by crucifixion. The place NO ONE wants to go. 

The good parts of these daily devotionals are inspired by the sermon at Holy Ghost Lutheran Church in Fredericksburg Texas. You can watch it by following this link... https://youtu.be/70WTr6CjDHU
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

to be taller

Matthew 6:27 "27 Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature?" Jesus has questions... Beginning our study this week with "Why Do You Worry?" Questions have always been a cornerstone of education, used to assess students’ knowledge, promote comprehension, and stimulate critical thinking. Well-crafted questions lead to new insights, generate discussion, and promote the comprehensive exploration of the subject. It makes sense that GOD would use questions VERY effectively. In yesterday's verses, Jesus asked "Are you not MUCH BETTER than birds?" His questions do not end there. In today's verse we read another one, "Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature?" This is a sentence our culture needs to learn. No anxiety, no thinking, no wanting will alter our bodily height, or any other condition of our life that is fixed by God’s laws. We often wish things were different than they are, but our "wo...
Post a Comment
Read more

we also...

Romans 6:3&4 "3 Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into His death? 4 Therefore we are buried with Him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life." In our studies we are striving to understand God’s love and care. God's unconditional love for His followers, appreciating that we are part of GOD’S family! God is with us from cradle to grave. His divine presence is always giving us purpose and guidance. One of the most important milestones in the life of a Christian is baptism. When we are baptized, an indelible mark is made on our soul. This mark signifies a permanent transformation and dedication of the individual to God. The act of Baptism involves water and the invocation of the Holy Trinity. This ritual is seen as a symbolic washing away of original sin and a new birth into the life of Christ. Baptism is a foundational s...
Post a Comment
Read more

praise Him

Luke 1:51-53 "51 He hath shewed strength with His arm; He hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts. 52 He hath put down the mighty from their seats, and exalted them of low degree. 53 He hath filled the hungry with good things; and the rich he hath sent empty away." This is Mary's Magnificat. Beginning with verse forty-six Mary's responds to Elizabeth’s blessing is EPIC! In this poem Mary praises GOD for His blessing to her and His faithfulness to Israel.  Mary's Magnificat also highlights a series of reversals in which the proud are humbled and the humble are exalted! Which we read in today's verses; "He hath shewed STRENGTH with His arm; He hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts. He hath put down the mighty from their seats, and EXALTED them of low degree. He hath FILLED the hungry with good things; and the rich he hath sent empty away." We should marvel at GOD'S choice of this poor young girl to be the m...
Post a Comment
Read more