Skip to main content

IF



I’m learning to become excited about Jesus’ ifs.  If I want what Jesus wants for my life there is one thing I can count on.  It is that what He wants for me is not what I want at first glance.  It makes me feel much better to know that the leader of the disciples, Peter, reacts to Jesus’ ifs that way too.
I really appreciate Peter.  He always opened his mouth and said what everyone else was thinking but may have been afraid to say.  I would rather risk ridicule than to live in ignorance.
Even though Peter denied Jesus three times, Jesus did not fire him from being the rock on which He would build His church.  He gave Peter far more than a second chance; rather He gave him every chance he needed to make him into the kind of man that legend tells us watched his wife be crucified for her faith, and then asked to be crucified upside down since he didn’t feel worthy to die in the same manner as his Savior.  I love this about Jesus.  He doesn’t give up on us even when we would give up on ourselves.
Jesus had a gentle restoration process for Peter, first visiting him privately after His resurrection, then affirming his inclusion with the other disciples when He first revealed Himself to all of the disciples.  Ultimately He gave Peter a do-over when He asked him three times if he loved Him, then assigned Him to feed His sheep.  During this same conversation, Jesus told Peter how he would be led to a cross.
Peter seemed to digest this reality, but he wanted to know more.  He wondered if John would come to the same fate.  This was when Jesus explained what it means to fully follow Him.  He told Peter: If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you? You must follow me (John 21:22).
Peter’s life demonstrates that he accepted Jesus’ if.  He surrendered to the if of Jesus willingly and lovingly.  I’m sure it wasn’t easy, but He had learned that Jesus’ if was far better for them than any plan he could make for his own life. 
The great if leads to a crossroad.  Are you willing and ready to walk the path of if?  Do you believe that God holds the wisdom you don’t have?  Do you want God’s if to play out in your life?  Are you ready to open your eyes to what Jesus wants for you?
Copyright © 2105.  Deborah R Newman  teatimeforyoursoul.com  All Rights Reserved.
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

A Pilgrimage that Started with Tears

                Who would think I would shed tears deciding to set out on a wonderful journey that I have longed to take for many years?   Before I was ready to fully accept God’s invitation for a pilgrimage to Jerusalem, I had to journey to a place of agreement between what my soul wanted and what the Lord wanted for me.   For years I have been declining opportunities to travel to Israel—not because I didn’t want to go but because I wanted to go with my husband by my side.   I know that God could have arranged that for me, but instead He asked me to accept that He wanted me to be willing to go and leave everything behind.   When I was asked to make a decision about going on a Pilgrimage to Jerusalem, God gave me this verse in answer to my prayer -- Debi, observe therefore all the commands I am giving you today, so that you may have the strength to go in and take over the land that you are cr...
2 comments
Read more

The Effects of the Holy Spirit

The Effects of the Holy Spirit               Can you imagine that the very Spirit of God is given to humans who believe in God’s gift of salvation through Jesus Christ’s death, burial and resurrection?  Just thinking about the Holy Spirit makes me realize that I can do better.  I am not left to my own resources when it comes to praying, having faith, obeying God, doing what He asks me to do.                 No one understands the depth of sin’s effect on a soul better than God.  Every action He takes has been to reduce the effect of evil that was unleashed into our world when sin was merged into His perfect universe.  We never saw it coming. Even Adam and Eve did not see what hit them.  God has counteracted with the effect of faith after sin by enabling sinners to be affected by His ho...
Post a Comment
Read more

Holy Saturday

Nothing is written about the events of Holy Saturday except Luke 23:56, “they rested on the Sabbath in obedience to the commandment.” These few words speak volumes about our life with Christ.   What was it like for these ladies to rest on the Sabbath?   They had watched carefully, they knew how quickly Jesus’ body was laid in the grave. The men had brought spices and linens, but they had little time to properly anoint this most precious of all bodies.   As the women watched carefully, they made mental note of the supplies that would be necessary to complete this sacred act of burial as it should be. They spent the last few hours before sunset to prepare the spices for this holy act of reverence. The Sabbath signaled the time for rest.   I’m sure they didn’t feel like resting, but by complying out of obedience they were probably served by its benefits.   Their minds racing from the horror they had just witnessed, at best they could allow their bodies to rest and ...
Post a Comment
Read more