Category: Thoughts and Meditations

“He said to him the third time, ‘Simon, son of John, do you love me?’ Peter was grieved because he said to him the third time, ‘Do you love me?’ and he said to him, ‘Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Feed my sheep.’” – John 21:17 

This is such a profoundly beautiful moment! The resurrected Jesus speaks directly to Peter, who had failed Him so badly. Overwhelmed by fear, Peter had denied even knowing Jesus three times on the night of his arrest. Three times, Peter had lied and insisted he didn’t know His Lord! 

Yet rather than throw that history of failure and betrayal in Peter’s face, Jesus instead gave him the opportunity to re-affirm his love. Three times Jesus asked Peter, “Do you love me?” Three times. One for each denial. Peter, not fully understanding and frustrated at being asked, nonetheless confessed his love for Jesus three times. Then, three times, Jesus affirmed the work He still had prepared for Peter to do as a leader of His church – to feed and tend the precious flock of Christ. 

This is a powerful reminder that there is no failure that God’s grace that’s extended through Christ can’t overcome. There is no rejection of Jesus that His love can’t forgive when someone later embraces Him. Mistakes and failures don’t permanently bar us from usefulness in Christ’s Kingdom. We are reminded, once again, that the Gospel isn’t just a one time saving truth, but it is the continuously forgiving, reconciling, and restoring reality we all need and experience in Christ. 

If there is a guilt or shame in your past that prevents you from fully serving Jesus Christ, confess it to Him now. Ask His forgiveness and be restored! 

“Where there are no oxen, the manger is clean,  
but abundant crops come by the strength of the ox.”  
– Proverbs 14:4 

There is messiness and cost required to accomplish what is truly important and ultimately good. There is ongoing expense and effort necessary to do what’s best for others and for ourselves. We must be willing to embrace that, even as our culture preaches messages of short-sighted, self-centered simplicity and false frugality. 

Today we’ve often embraced a false economy around keeping things in our lives simple. While simplicity can be a virtue, it can also be an excuse to avoid engaging in what matters most! Avoiding hard and messy things might make us happy in the near-term, but leave us starving – physically, emotionally or spiritually – in the long term.  

Likewise we (individually and as churches) can be penny-wise and pound-foolish in pursuing false economies built on doing nothing. We certainly may find near-term savings of either money or effort, but true productivity and fruitfulness generally requires some messiness, some up-front expense, and some ongoing effort. We must be willing to embrace that if we want to experience the abundant fruitfulness God desires for us. 

We must be willing to let go of small short-term benefits and economies (like a clean, elegant, and cost-free food trough) to pursue long-term abundance and fruitfulness (by investing our energy and resources in true productivity). We must be willing to pay near-term costs for long-term Kingdom gains and embrace the messiness of ministry to enjoy eventual abundant fruitfulness for God’s Kingdom. 

“And Jonathan, Saul’s son, rose and went to David at Horesh, and strengthened his hand in God.” – 1 Samuel 23:16 

During terrible times, a friend in the Lord can be a powerful encouragement! David was being hunted relentlessly by murderous King Saul. He’d been on the run for a very long time. Innocent and godly people who’d helped David were being slaughtered for their kindness. His family was in danger and the kingship that rightly belonged to him seemed impossible to attain. David had to have been frightened, frustrated, exhausted, angry, and discouraged all at the same time! 

Then, when he needed it the most, David received this beautiful encouragement from his best friend Jonathan. Jonathan encouraged him about God’s plan for his life and his future. Jonathan didn’t just give him a pep talk, he encouraged his faith in God’s promises, protection, and provision. He strengthened his hand in God. That’s a true friend in the Lord! 

As followers of Jesus, we will go through long and discouraging seasons in life. May we have friends like Jonathan who strengthen our hands in God. Likewise, our brothers and sisters in Christ will suffer setbacks, disappointments, and discouragement. It’s very likely that someone in your life is currently in such a season. Who needs to hear a word of encouragement from you today to strengthen their hand in God? 

“I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me.” – John 17:20-21

What a comfort to know that Jesus was already praying for us nearly 2000 years ago! We are those who believe in Jesus through the word of His original disciples. That’s us that Jesus was praying for as His crucifixion drew near! As impending suffering and death weighed on His heart, we were on His mind!!! Praise God!

What an incredible prayer! Our Savior prayed for our unity. That we would be one. That what unites us in Christ would always be more powerful than what previously separated us in the world. Our unity in Christ is greater than differences of gender, ethnicity, race, social standing, economic status, education, employment, or earthly achievement!

Moreover, we aren’t just united together, we’re united in God the Father, Jesus the Son, and the Holy Spirit! We are invited and united with our Creator through faith in Jesus! Our vertical unity with Christ and our horizontal unity with neighbors who look and act different from us are meant to be powerful testimonies to a watching world that Jesus is truly the life-altering, soul-saving, world-redeeming Son of God.

All of which means, we need to take unity very, very seriously. Rather than dividing over petty things, we must battle to be united. We might fight to love our brothers and sisters in Christ even when we disagree with them. We must strive to stay together rather than simply walk away. Our unity is a precious gift, a powerful prayer, and a deep responsibility. We must live this prayer by the power of this prayer. Let us be one, just as Jesus and the Father are one!