DATE WRITTEN: Tuesday, 2021-04-13
WRITTEN AT: Okeechobee, FL

BIBLE REFERENCE: Matthew 26:69-70; 72; 74
TRANSLATION: The Message (MSG)

BIBLE TEXT: ⁶⁹ All this time, Peter was sitting out in the courtyard. One servant girl came up to him and said, “You were with Jesus the Galilean.”
⁷⁰ In front of everybody there, he denied it. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
⁷² Again he denied it, salting his denial with an oath: “I swear, I never laid eyes on the man.”
⁷⁴ Then he got really nervous and swore. “I don’t know the man!”

OBSERVATION: Peter was recognized as a follower of Jesus, but he denied it – in fact he denied Jesus 3 times. Imagine the confusion that must have arisen among the people? They knew he was a follower of Christ, but Peter straight out denied ever knowing Him. But before we become too judgmental of Peter, what happens when friends or acquaintances see us Monday through Friday and question whether we are the same person they saw participating in last week’s church service?

APPLICATION: Unfortunately the same thing that happened to Peter will often happen when others recognize us as the son/daughter of our parents, that they know really well. Hopefully others will see certain actions in us that remind them of our parents. Disappointment will come when friends and loved ones see just the opposite of what they came to lovingly know our parents for. But the same is true in our relationships when at one point we say that we are a child of the King, but act like Satan himself. What makes it tough is that as long as we are assigned to live in this world, we will be led by the things of this world – unless we make a commitment to serve God faithfully and allow Him to rule and reign in our lives. When the latter occurs, we will be led by the Holy Spirit into living like Jesus did, showing love like Jesus did, treating people like Jesus did, and committed to following Him on the mountain tops and in the darkest valleys. Where the challenges arise, is when we do this half-heartedly. For it is then that we feel like we are proud to be His child, but we are easily led by every tug of Satan to act like normal children of the world and it’s master. Friends, as a married man, I am proud to be called the husband of my wonderful wife in her presence, in the mix of friends or coworkers where I often find myself, or even in the presence of other beautiful women. In my heart, I belong to my wife, and I will die for her if the need ever presented itself. I am also a child of the most high God, and I am determined to serve Him til Jesus returns to take me home to Glory. Will I be tempted like Peter was? I believe you can go ahead and bet on it, but with all the power that’s within me and with the help of Almighty God, I commit to serving Him unwaveringly for as long as He gives me breath. Could circumstances ever cause me to be challenged to decide between life eternally with Jesus vs eternal damnation with Satan in Hell? I know that they can, but I pray that each and every day that God will give me the strength to always stand firm in my commitment to Him. I will need extra strength to help me when the enemy forces himself on me, but dear friends, let’s always remember and stand firm on the promise that greater is He that is in us than he that is in the world. May God give us the strength and determination to say as Paul did: ‘For me to live is Christ, and to die is gain’.

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, thank You for loving Peter so much that You looked beyond his weakness and still loved him. I know that You are still the same awesome God that You were for Peter, so I believe wholeheartedly that You love my readers and I who have committed our lives to You just as much. Each day we will face Satan and all of his attacks. Just like hackers, Satan is out to get us in very cunning ways. So Lord, we need Your power and Your wisdom to fight the enemy off each and every day. Make us wholly thine, and may we look like Your child not only in Your perfect presence, but also in the eyes of unbelievers who need to be convinced of Your presence even through simple human beings. Be glorified through us today Lord. Oh that they may see Jesus in us. AMEN!

FOOTNOTE: There are two more pages on my blog that will provide you with additional information, one of them being ‘To Know Jesus’. If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading this devotional, please click on the above page, or speak with a local Bible Teaching Pastor, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com. Please allow someone to pray with you and give you help and/or encouragement as you begin, or continue your walk with Jesus. Words underlined in my blog might indicate a link to a song that came to mind as I wrote the devotional. Feel free to click on the link and listen as you continue to read or pray. If this devotional was forwarded to you and you would like to see more, please go to Nuggets From God’s Word and read more, or you may freely subscribe for a daily email conveniently containing each day’s devotional. You may also visit me on Spotify and listen to Nuggets while you’re out and about. I would encourage you to find a church home near by your home, and attend as frequently as you could. Get to know God, and allow His people to encourage and strengthen you in your Christian walk, while making every effort to be a blessing to them. God is at work among His people! Please consider growing in your faith, as you worship with fellow believers!