Day 3
The Shame of Unfaithfulness
Read: Luke 22:31-62, John 21:7-19, 2 Timothy 2:13
SOAP: Luke 22:31-32
“Simon, Simon, pay attention! Satan has demanded to have you all, to sift you like wheat, but I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. When you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.”
Have you ever looked at someone else’s sin and thought, “I would never do that”? I am sure Peter never thought he would be the one to deny Jesus. He was passionate for the Lord and His ministry. When Jesus told Peter he would deny Him, not once but three times, Peter could not believe it. When the time came, that is exactly what happened. Peter, very quickly, became unfaithful to the One to whom he swore his allegiance.
We are no different. We have the capacity to commit sins we thought we would never commit. We are no better than Peter and can easily find ourselves denying Jesus. But even in his horrible failure, Jesus did not abandon Peter. He prayed for Peter, even restoring him after his fall. He prays for us too (Heb 7:25), and He restores us when we fall short (1Pt 5:10-11).
Even in our unfaithfulness to the Lord, He is always faithful to us. He forgives us of sin and restores us. He loves us unconditionally, no matter what we do or do not do. He is our Father, and we are His children.
Lord, give me the humility to know I can fall into all kinds of sin, especially the sin of unfaithfulness. Help me to remember daily Your great love, patience, and forgiveness and give me a desire to follow You all the days of my life. Amen.