___________________
John 13:38 – Jesus answered him, Wilt thou lay down thy life for my sake? Verily, verily, I say unto thee, The cock shall not crow, till thou hast denied me thrice.
__________________
Over the years, Peter has been the brunt of much bad publicity. After all, three times he denied that he knew or followed Jesus, and Jesus was so close to him at the final denial that He turned and looked at Peter. Don’t you know that look was burned into Peter’s heart and mind? Yet it was to this same man that Jesus said three times by the shore of the Sea of Galilee that he was to feed His sheep and lambs. I wonder how many of us would have been so forgiving, for this forgiveness came AFTER His betrayal, arrest, beating, crucifixion, and suffering.
But Peter’s commitment to the Lord was not a thing to be lightly considered. He had said that he would lay down his own life for Jesus. How often in our lives have we made powerful, sweeping statements of commitment that, if actually called upon for completion, would likely have been well beyond our own will to complete? I personally know of no one who had NOT made such a committal statement. And I likewise know of no one who has not failed at some point to keep such a committal statement. But when Peter failed, a rooster crowed as an awakening to his failure. Could it be that we are living in such a loud, noisy world today that our “roosters” are not heard? Or could it even be that we are generally so over-whelmed with busy-ness, tumult, bad news, advertising, and distraction that it appears our “roosters” have been silenced?
Is it “time to awaken the rooster?” Could it be that we all, at least at some time, need to come to a place where we can hear the “rooster” crow in our own lives? Do we need a wake-up call? Do we need to be startled to an awareness of our failure to carry out our full commitment to the Lord, that we need to hear the “rooster” crow in such a manner as to alert us to our need for repentance in some arena? It’s not about making some public profession. It’s about being honest with ourselves and the Lord. It’s about confessing any sin in our lives of which we are aware. It’s about humbling ourselves under the mighty hand of God. He wants to bless us, show us His favor, enrich our lives, make and keep us well. He wants to do that for us personally and individually. But for that to happen, we must hear the “rooster” crow and turn it all back to Him.
Manna for Today – John 13:31-38; John 15:13; Mark 10:17-30; Psalm 15:4; Matthew 12:37; 3 John 2; Jeremiah 29:11; Isaiah 45:11; Isaiah 55:11
http://www.eaglesnestforum.com – http://www.facebook.com/eaglesnestforum
My Second Miler by Dr. Beechard Moorefield 