Word@Work Luke329 - Luke 22:33-34
Published: Wed, 04/06/11
Word@Work from BeaconLight
BOASTFUL PROMISE
Luke 22:33-34 But he replied, "Lord, I am ready to go with you to prison and to death." Jesus answered, "I tell you, Peter, before the cock crows today, you will deny three times that you know me." (NIV)
Peter, the fisherman, was a man of action. He liked making decisions and announcing what he intended to do. So when Jesus told him that evil was lurking around him, and Satan wanted to destroy him (Luke 22:31-32), he thought that his own moral strength and courage would win through; proving that he was the best of all the disciples. Even though Jesus had said that Satan's desire to ruin Peter was so strong that Jesus had to intervene, the arrogant disciple still protested that his loyalty to Jesus was rock firm.
But Jesus knew that all Peter's good intentions would come to nothing in a few hours. He even pinpointed the exact time of day and the number of times Peter would deny Him. It was a shocking prophecy which probably meant little at the time it was spoken; however, after the cock crowed early in the morning, the catalogue of Peter's failure crashed into his heart and he realised that he had failed so badly and should never had made such a proud promise.
Most people who follow Jesus really do want to serve Him to the best of their ability. But we need to understand that, without His help, we are totally incapable of doing so. The weakness of our human nature is a trap we keep falling into - however much we protest that we will never dishonour Jesus. But our human weakness is not the end of the matter if we will only abandon our proud self-assertion and accept the help which the Lord wants to give us. Promises to defeat Satan by ourselves may sound good, but will always fail. However, those who start by admitting their weakness, and cry out to the Lord will always find the Lord's help is alongside.
Prayer: Dear Lord. Thank You that You know everything about me, even my foolishly impossible promises. I know that I can never please You in my own strength alone. Please forgive me for proudly claiming to serve You loyally and yet failing to humbly accept how weak I am. Thank You for this practical example of how pride comes before a fall. Help me to know how to have a realistic assessment of myself, and learn to work with You and not against You. In Jesus' Name. Amen.
Subscribe | View Archive | Donate | W@W Facebook Group
You can read the verses around this Bible passage from the Internet Bible: - in English, and many other languages
Peter, the fisherman, was a man of action. He liked making decisions and announcing what he intended to do. So when Jesus told him that evil was lurking around him, and Satan wanted to destroy him (Luke 22:31-32), he thought that his own moral strength and courage would win through; proving that he was the best of all the disciples. Even though Jesus had said that Satan's desire to ruin Peter was so strong that Jesus had to intervene, the arrogant disciple still protested that his loyalty to Jesus was rock firm.
But Jesus knew that all Peter's good intentions would come to nothing in a few hours. He even pinpointed the exact time of day and the number of times Peter would deny Him. It was a shocking prophecy which probably meant little at the time it was spoken; however, after the cock crowed early in the morning, the catalogue of Peter's failure crashed into his heart and he realised that he had failed so badly and should never had made such a proud promise.
Most people who follow Jesus really do want to serve Him to the best of their ability. But we need to understand that, without His help, we are totally incapable of doing so. The weakness of our human nature is a trap we keep falling into - however much we protest that we will never dishonour Jesus. But our human weakness is not the end of the matter if we will only abandon our proud self-assertion and accept the help which the Lord wants to give us. Promises to defeat Satan by ourselves may sound good, but will always fail. However, those who start by admitting their weakness, and cry out to the Lord will always find the Lord's help is alongside.
Prayer: Dear Lord. Thank You that You know everything about me, even my foolishly impossible promises. I know that I can never please You in my own strength alone. Please forgive me for proudly claiming to serve You loyally and yet failing to humbly accept how weak I am. Thank You for this practical example of how pride comes before a fall. Help me to know how to have a realistic assessment of myself, and learn to work with You and not against You. In Jesus' Name. Amen.
Your next Word@Work will be sent on
W@WLuke329 | Word@Work © Dr Paul Adams 2011 | Provided by BeaconLight | Contact us at wordatwork@beaconlight.co.uk
Subscribe | View Archive | Donate | W@W Facebook Group