03/02/2024 – “Have you felt the pain inflicted by the Lord?” // “He said to him, the third time, ‘… do you love Me?’ (John 21:17).
“Have you ever felt the pain, inflicted by the Lord, at the very center of your being, deep down in the most sensitive area of your life? The devil never inflicts pain there, and neither can sin nor human emotions. Nothing can cut through to that part of our being but the Word of God. ‘Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time, ‘Do you love me?’ Yet he was awakened to the fact that at the center of his personal life he was devoted to Jesus. And then he began to see what Jesus’ patient questioning meant. There was not the slightest bit of doubt left in Peter’s mind; he could never be deceived again. And for immediate action or an emotional display. It was a revelation to him to realize how much he did love the Lord, and with amazement he simply said, ‘Lord, You know all things ….’ Peter began to see how very much at this or that as proof of my love.’ Peter was beginning to discover within himself just how much he really did love the Lord. He discovered that his eyes were so fixed on Jesus Christ that he saw no one else in heaven above or on the earth below. But he did not know it until the probing, hurting questions of the Lord were asked. The Lord’s questions always reveal the true me to myself.
Oh, the wonder of the patient directness and skill of Jesus Christ with Peter! Our Lord never asks questions until the perfect time. Rarely, but probably once in each of our lives, He will back us into a corner where He will hug us with His piercing questions. Then we will realize that we do love Him far more deeply than our words can ever say.”
Soli Deo Gloria!
Insert – a personal share:
A very fond memory of mine is our small men’s bible study over lunch a few years ago. Co-workers would ask: How many in your group? And when I would answer : “Six”, I recall once a reply of: “Is that all?” Well, this last company that I worked for was the most “christian” friendly organization that I ever worked for. As by way of example, our senior management team had an open invitation to all employees to join their early Wednesday prayer and bible study. But upon my retirement, I clearly saw the impact of our little group by God’s grace, we were the messengers that ramped up the growth (sanctification) of the culture in very obvious ways, by God’s grace!
In one lunch get-together, I recall us all in unison praising God for our growth, in that: “We had clearly ramped up our own faith in that: “We no longer reflected on our sins as “Oh, I messed up again”, but as our worst fear: “Grieving the Holy Spirit”, a much stronger impediment to sin down the road…
Celebrate our eternal victory straight ahead amidst the battle against evil !
Always connected by His grace and through prayer!