"And [after the third denial] the Lord turned and looked at Peter. Then Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how He had said to him, 'Before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.' So Peter went out and wept bitterly."
Luke 22;61-62
Several hours had elapsed since Jesus' arrest – enough time for Peter to deny Him three times. Surely he was under conviction even from his first failure. Why did he take so long to repent? Indeed, why does it take me so long to acknowledge my failures? There are two things here that point toward the answer. First was the look of Jesus. I don't believe it was a look of anger, but of sadness, sorrow, and pain. Jesus sees all my failures, and surely it saddens His heart. When I realize how much I cause Him pain, my heart is broken. Secondly, Peter "remembered the word." Repentance comes as the Holy Spirit reminds me of how much I fall short of God's Word. When I consider the magnitude of my failure, the result is weeping. Tears of repentance are a cleansing of the soul.
Today's Thought: Knowing the sadness my failure brings to the heart of Jesus brings me to repentance.
Have a sensitive day. Love you.
No comments:
Post a Comment