Liz’s Morning Devotional based upon Upper Room
January 14, 2022
Read Luke 22:54-62
54 After they arrested Jesus, they led him away and brought him to the high priest’s house. Peter followed from a distance. 55 When they lit a fire in the middle of the courtyard and sat down together, Peter sat among them. 56 Then a servant woman saw him sitting in the firelight. She stared at him and said, “This man was with him too.” 57 But Peter denied it, saying, “Woman, I don’t know him!” 58 A little while later, someone else saw him and said, “You are one of them too.” But Peter said, “Man, I’m not!” 59 An hour or so later, someone else insisted, “This man must have been with him, because he is a Galilean too.” 60 Peter responded, “Man, I don’t know what you are talking about!” At that very moment, while he was still speaking, a rooster crowed. 61 The Lord turned and looked straight at Peter, and Peter remembered the Lord’s words: “Before a rooster crows today, you will deny me three times.” 62 And Peter went out and cried uncontrollably.
Good Morning! This is the day that the Lord has made! Let us rejoice and be glad in it!
Remember when you were a child and something got broken when you were playing around. Everybody was playing and having a good time, but suddenly the unimaginable happened. Mom’s favorite lamp or picture fell and broke into pieces.
Did you try to shift the blame onto someone else? It is hard to accept the consequences of our actions. When mom got home, she would ask who caused this to happen, and of course, this was usually followed by “tell the truth and it will be easier on you.” When you chose to lie or cover up the accident, you think that you are avoiding getting in trouble, but the guilt that follows is terrible.
I imagine Peter going through a similar situation. When Jesus called for him to follow, he did and most of the time things were good. There were bumps and obstacles along the way, but Jesus was always there to make things right. Now, even though Jesus tried to prepare His disciples, they were in danger and it seemed that there was no way to avoid this unimaginable situation. The whole guilt by association scenario was in effect. Peter did the logical thing and tried to distance himself by claiming that he did not know Jesus: “you’ve got the wrong guy.” Of course, we know that Peter was fulfilling prophecy as this played out, but in verse 61, we can feel the anguish of Peter when Jesus looked at him.
The good news is that Jesus didn’t give a look of condemnation, but instead looked deep inside of Peter to see the strength within that would support him as he became the cornerstone of Jesus’ church. We all make mistakes and sometimes try to deny our responsibility for our actions. Jesus will not condemn us when we admit our guilt. Instead, He will be by our side, each step of the way, as we accept and complete our consequences. God, our Creator, sees us for all that we are including our flaws, and loves us unconditionally. God is waiting to forgive us when we are ready to turn over our sins.
Creator God, Thank You for loving us. Sometimes we want to take the easy way out and deny our wrongdoings. We quickly learn that the easy way is filled with guilt and despair. Through your strength, may we turn over our sin and accept the consequences of our actions. Thank you for leading us through this trouble. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen
Thought for the day: God is looking at me today with eyes of forgiving love.
God is Good! Pastor Liz
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