Daily Devotionals
Daily Devotional: Psalms 6:1-5
Ps 6:1-5
O LORD do not rebuke me in your anger or discipline me in your wrath. Be merciful to me, LORD, for I am faint; O LORD, heal me, for my bones are in agony. My soul is in anguish. How long, O LORD, how long? Turn, O LORD, and deliver me; save me because of your unfailing love. No one remembers you when he is dead. Who praises you from the grave?
Luke 22:55-62
But when they had kindled a fire in the middle of the courtyard and had sat down together, Peter sat down with them. A servant girl saw him seated there in the firelight. She looked closely at him and said, "This man was with him." But he denied it. "Woman, I don't know him," he said. A little later someone else saw him and said, "You also are one of them." "Man, I am not!" Peter replied. About an hour later another asserted, "Certainly this fellow was with him, for he is a Galilean." Peter replied, "Man, I don't know what you're talking about!" Just as he was speaking, the rooster crowed. The Lord turned and looked straight at Peter. Then Peter remembered the word the Lord had spoken to him: "Before the rooster crows today, you will disown me three times." And he went outside and wept bitterly.
When I read this story about Peter, I begin to wonder if I would have denied the Lord, given the same circumstances. Peter had declared earlier (along with the other 10 at the table) that he would not deny Jesus, but rather, he would fight to the death for him. When the time came, he was ready to fight and even drew his sword and started swinging. He wasn’t going to let anyone take Jesus! But Jesus told him to put up his sword and to not fight. Jesus had gone with the soldiers and the mob without resistance. The people were making all kinds of accusations against his master, and he was taking it, without even answering.
What was happening? Who is Jesus? Just a few days earlier and they were crying “Hosanna” and he had been a part of the entourage of the hero of Israel. Now, instead of being called the Messiah, Jesus was being accused of treason and the same people were crying “crucify him”. So, he said I don’t know the man.
Lord, when things around me get crazy and there seems to be no sense to all that is going on, help me keep my faith in you. I know that you cannot lie and you are always truthful, even when I am faithless, weak, and unsure. Increase, my faith and give me wisdom and then give me self-control and strength to be all you want me to be. Help me as a person to be more like Jesus. Give courage to those who are in difficult places and those in foreign countries teaching your word and trying to lead others to you. Help me do this at home. I pray in Jesus name.
Robert
