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Matthew 26: 31-35
31 Then Jesus said to them, “All of you will be made to stumble because of Me this night, for it is written: ‘I will strike the Shepherd, And the sheep of the flock will be scattered.’
32 But after I have been raised, I will go before you to Galilee.”
33 Peter answered and said to Him, “Even if all are made to stumble because of You, I will never be made to stumble.”
34 Jesus said to him, “Assuredly, I say to you that this night, before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.”
35 Peter said to Him, “Even if I have to die with You, I will not deny You!” And so said all the disciples (NKJV).
Truthfully, whenever I read the above scriptures, my focus was always on Peter’s denial to come sometime later. I never focused on how brave – how bold – Peter seemed to be in the moment when he spoke to Jesus.
Despite Peter’s bold declarations, Jesus knew the truth. That Peter did not know what was to come. Jesus knew the truth. That Peter’s actions sometime later would be empty of boldness. Jesus knew the truth. That Peter would deny Him, just as Jesus said he would.
Looking back, I too have been guilty of making bold declarations. Yet, when it was time to act, what I did was not bold at all. For example, with all boldness I have said that I trust God. Yet, when a challenge came sometime afterwards, I acted out of the fear that overcame my trust in God.
I have also boldly declared that God was my priority. Yet, it became clear later that what I wanted to do, and what I wanted to achieve, was my priority.
God knows me. God knows you. And because God knows us, He knows that, on our own, we don’t have what it takes to always act in ways that please Him.
As believers, we must know that:
1. God knows our frailties. He knows our weaknesses. Psalm 103:14 states: For he knows how weak we are; he remembers we are only dust (NLT).
2. We need God’s help. John 15:5 states: “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing (NIV).
When we depend solely on ourselves, our actions will not always live up to our bold words. But there is hope for us in the person of the Holy Spirit.
When the Holy Spirit empowers us, in situations where we would ordinarily be timid, we are bold for Christ. In situations where we would ordinarily shrink back, we press ahead with courage knowing that God is with us. And when the Holy Spirit empowers us, we act in ways that glorify God.
Acts 1:8 states: But you shall receive power (ability, efficiency, and might) when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you shall be My witnesses in Jerusalem and all Judea and Samaria and to the ends (the very bounds) of the earth (AMPC).
Except where indicated, scripture references are from the American Standard Version (ASV), Darby Translation (DARBY), or King James Version (KJV) – all public domain.
