Thank You, Father, for a good night’s rest. May today be all that You want it to be for me and those who cross my path. Amen.

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My apologies for not posting yesterday. I got my second COVID vaccine
on Tuesday and it totally took the wind out of my sails yesterday.
I just didn’t have it in me to get off the couch. Feeling much better today!

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John 1:40-42 (<<click here to read the passage)

I don’t know about you, but I love Peter! It is probably for the same reason that I love David, Israel’s greatest king from of old. They both were great men, but Scripture doesn’t hold back one bit on their humanity, nothing is glossed over.

When Jesus first met Peter, he wasn’t known as Peter…yet. His name was Simon, a run-of-the-mill, hardworking fisherman on the Sea of Galilea. But the very first thing Jesus said to Peter was, “Your name is Simon, son of John—but you will be called Cephas” (which means “Peter”. v42

Of course, as many of you know, the names Cephas (from Aramaic) and Peter (from Greek) both mean “rock.” Eventually, Peter would live up to the intentions that Jesus had when He gave him his new name. He would be foundational in God’s Kingdom in the establishment of His church. He would be solid and immovable…but not yet. In the beginning, he was less rock and more rocky.

If you’ve ever walked through a deposit of shale rock, you quickly realize that you have to be careful. Smooth loose rock on top of smooth rock can be slippery. It is not necessarily stable. It is most definitely movable.

How about a canoe? As a novice would it be wise to stand in one? If you wanted to get wet I suppose. It makes me think of that old song, Rock the Boat, by The Hues Corporation from the early 1970s.

So I’d like to know where you got the notion…
….to rock the boat…
Don’t rock the boat, baby
….Rock the boat
Don’t tip the boat over
….Rock the boat
Don’t rock the boat, baby
….Rock the boat

Peter excelled at inserting his foot in his mouth. He got some things right, but he got a lot wrong. He was quick to react. He didn’t always think before he spoke.

Be we never have that problem…do we? We always take plenty of time to speak…to respond to situations…right?

Peter was very much human, just like we are. Peter was not perfect, any more than we are perfect. But…Jesus didn’t give up on Peter…and He won’t give up on us either.

Before Jesus’ crucifixion, Peter denied he even knew Jesus – something he swore he would never do. He fell and he fell hard, but Jesus wouldn’t leave him there. He restored Peter. He put Peter – the rock! – into his rightful place of leadership, despite his failings…and He will do the same for us.

Lord Jesus, may we not be able to forget that You hold tightly to us, regardless of our many issues. We fall again and again and again, but You are always poised ready to pick us up. You love us beyond anything we could ever imagine. May we always cling to the overwhelming truth! Amen.

Mar 11th, 2021, Thurs, 8:22 am