Rest Assured
Devotion for Monday , November 09, 2009 |
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Rest Assured: Devotions for Souls in a Restless World by Nancy McGuirk We live in an on-the-go society that values
stimulation over stillness. But God ordained the
Sabbath as a day of rest, our "prescription" for
peace of mind. In these 90 insightful and
soul-soothing devotions, McGuirk helps women
reclaim and practice the serenity the world seeks
to steal. Features personal challenges, study
questions, and helpful indexes. B&H Publishing
Group, copyright 1973. |
GROWING THROUGH FAILURE
The LORD said to Joshua, "Do not be
afraid;
do not be discouraged.
- JOSHUA 8:1
When Jesus met a fisherman named Peter, His first words
were, "Come, follow Me." When Jesus later spoke to Peter the apostle, His last words were, "You must follow Me." Between those two commands, and until the end of his life, Peter never stopped following Jesus. But he certainly stumbled.
We may wonder what qualities Jesus saw in a plain, and often impetuous, fisherman that He would choose him to be His disciple. Thankfully for Peter, and for us as well, when God chooses followers, He does not choose on the basis of who we are but who we can become. And that truth implies the possibility, indeed the probability, of failure along the way. God is looking for real people who can be changed by His love. He begins a work of transformation in their lives, conforming them to the image of His own dear Son (see Rom. 8:29).
Knowing that Jesus called, and kept, Peter in spite of his failures gives the rest of us great hope. Knowing that Peter
accomplished great things for the kingdom of God lets the rest of us know that God can use us in spite of our shortcomings.
My favorite story about Peter is when he got out of the boat in the middle of the storm and started walking toward Jesus. I love Peter's impulsiveness and his faith. I also identify with the fact that when he took his eyes off Jesus, he began to sink. I don't fault Peter for failing in faith. How many times have I started out strong and ended weak myself? I commend him for reaching out to Jesus when he started to sink and not giving up just because his faith failed him on that, or any other, occasion.
It's easy to get down on ourselves when our faith fails; I don't think anything feels as bad as knowing we've disappointed God. Yet we learn from the experiences of Jesus and the disciples that failure is not permanent. Failure is just a stepping-stone to maturity, a place where God meets us in our day of disappointment and extends a hand. All He asks is that when He says, "Follow Me," we grasp His hand and let Him pull us upward and onward, into the image of His Son.
Heavenly Father,
I have failed You and others so many times. Thank You for not
giving up on me. Thank You for calling me to continue following
You no matter what I do. Amen.
For the rest of your life…
Live every moment in the reality that God is perfecting us
Into the image of His Son, Jesus Christ.
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