Jesus said to Peter, Do you love me? John 21:15

Hope. Forgiveness. Renewal. A voice is given to the desperate longing of the countless lives filled with busy schedules and shameful hearts. It is only when the day ends and the demands and pressures of life begin to ease that the failures of our past threaten to invade our minds. As a desperate search begins for an escape from the broken marriages, the dead-end jobs, or the memories of the past, a genuine longing for a fresh start and a clean slate develops. We find such a desire in the life of the disciple, Peter. We read of how closely he walked with Jesus and how boldly he promised never to abandon Him. However, it was when the pressure mounted that his reckless abandonment was exchanged for the approval of man as we hear him deny Jesus Christ three times. The guilt, the shame and the disgrace Peter felt must have been unbearable. If the story had ended there, we would have only known Peter for his defeat and his failure. Yet, it was through his error that we are able to see how God can turn failure into triumph. In an intimate conversation between Peter and Jesus in John 21:15, Jesus asks him, Peter, do you love me? Through this dialogue, Peter was given the opportunity to lay aside his past failure and embrace the purpose God had for him. We may have seen Peter deny Christ in front of a few people, but we later see him declaring Christ in front of thousands of people. It was through Peters preaching that God ushered thousands into the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. Warren Wiersbe says, No matter how badly we have failed, we can always get up and begin again. Our God is the God of new beginnings. It has been said that failure occurs when we allow mistakes to take away our ability to learn, give, grow, and try again. Have you been weighed down by past failures? Lay it aside, turn to God and allow Him to change your failure into triumph and embrace the purpose He has set for you.

Prayer

No matter how badly we have failed, we can always get up and begin again. Our God is the God of new beginnings. - Warren Wiersbe

• Bible Readings for the Week Ahead:
• Monday: John 21:15-19
• Tuesday: Ephesians 3:14-19
• Wednesday: 2 Chronicles 36
• Thursday: Proverbs 24:16
• Friday: Micah 7:7
• Saturday: 2 Kings 17:22-23
• Sunday: Phil. 1:6