The Obedient Child

Jesus told Peter he would deny Him three times. I often wonder what Peter thought when he heard those words.

Peter knew who Jesus was—the Messiah, the Son of God. He knew Jesus had the words of eternal life. Peter had left everything to follow Him. And now Jesus, the One he loved and trusted, was telling him something that Peter could not imagine being true.

Did Jesus miss it?

At that moment Peter believed he was willing to die for Christ. I don’t believe Peter thought in a million years that he would betray his Savior. Yet only a few short hours later, Jesus’ words came true. Peter denied Jesus—not once, not twice, but three times—just as Jesus had said.

Hebrews 4:12 reminds us:

“For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit… and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.”

God knows us better than we know ourselves. We may think we are right, but God knows He is always correct.

Our responsibility is to trust God’s Word above all things—above culture, above academics, and even above ourselves.

Like Peter, we may think we know how we would react or what we are capable of doing, only to discover that we do not know ourselves as well as we thought. Jesus was not trying to hurt Peter. He was teaching Peter to trust Him above everything else—even his own thoughts and feelings.

We are called to that same trust today.

We trust the promises and the precepts of God’s Word. We trust when we understand. We trust when we walk by faith.

May each of us embrace and trust His Word. And as the old hymn reminds us:

“Where He leads me I will follow.”

With Gratitude, Pastor Jesse