Resurrection Devotional - Day 5
Read John 21:15-25.
Jesus makes it a point to forgive Peter who had publicly denied him three times. On the night of Jesus’ crucifixion, Judas and Peter had both betrayed him. In their anguish and remorse, Judas chose to hang himself, whereas Peter wept bitterly.
There will come many times in our lives where we disappoint God and where we feel like he has disappointed us. This is a regular part of being in an intimate relationship. There is hope and expectations on both sides, but when we don’t take the time to surrender it all and simply sit and listen to Jesus and follow his leading, that’s when we get into trouble.
Do you feel like you have disappointed God? Return to him today. Stop your running away and turn back to Jesus. Pour out to him what’s in your heart. Ask him for forgiveness and Jesus is faithful to forgive. There is nothing that can separate you from him. He loves you and wants to restore you to relationship with him and restore your calling. Take the time to pray now.
Do you feel like God has been a disappointment? It’s ok to acknowledge it. So many people walk around disappointed, but are afraid to say it, however their actions reveal that their heart has left even though they may go through the motions. It’s time to reconcile with Jesus. Let him know the deep anguish of your disappointment and choose to forgive God. I know it sounds blasphemous to think that we can forgive God. But what are you going to do? Are you going to live the rest of your life with this unresolved anger, longing, and resentment?
No. Move to forgive God in your heart and mind, and remember that God has already forgiven you of even greater wrongs, and greater sin. The truth is that your disappointment in God stems from your expectation that you placed on God. You were disappointed because you couldn’t control God and God did not do what you wanted him to do. Our relationship with God doesn’t work that way. Jesus loves you, but you can’t hold anything over him. The reality is that you are to fully surrender your life to Jesus. He gets to call the shots. This is why he is Lord and Saviour. Take the time to pray now. Forgive God and then confess your own sin of trying to control God.
Jesus loves you. Thank God that he knows exactly what it is like to be human. He greatly empathizes with us and that’s why he intercedes for us before the Father. Live free, live in forgiveness. Now extend that forgiveness to others. Extend love and mercy and grace to others. The standards by which we judge and relate to others is the exact same standards that God is going to apply to us. So if you care about yourself at all, you are going to care for others.
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Dear Jesus, thank you for death and resurrection. Thank you for your incredible love for us. Thank you for your mercy and understanding. Thank you for you patience with me. Help me to grow in your love. I daily surrender myself to you. Holy Spirit, teach me and lead me in your way. May I no longer live independent of you, but in greater dependence of you. Help me to grow in intimacy with you and live in obedience. In your name. Amen.
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This concludes our journey throughout Lent and Resurrection week. We have read through the book of John and I hope our time together helped to draw you nearer to Jesus. Guard your time with Jesus and spend as much time as you can in his words, in prayer, and in obedience. Thanks again and blessings!