Who Knew What He'd Become?

So…I promised a post about Peter, I apologize that its been a while coming.


My focus has been all over the map with my agreeing to lead a study at our church (the first one since ‘the’ incident) and several other things that shall remain locked away in my heart until the Lord allows me to share them and then there was that hurricane. All things in His perfect timing though, eh?


But Peter…Oh Peter.

So little has been written about him, so much can be learned from his life, from his struggles, from his victories.

I am reminded often that Elijah was a man just like us, with the same emotions, the same struggles, the same sin nature, just like ours, and yet when he prayed earnestly for it not to rain no rain fell for three years.

Peter, likewise, was a man just like us.

This is what I have learned about him. I pray it blesses you as it has blessed me.

When you think of Peter, what is the very first thing that comes to mind?

For me? The thing I remember most? Is his denial of Christ.

That memory is then followed by a flood of other memories of the mans life that literally assault me.

Peter walking on water, and subsequently sinking, Peter refusing to have his feet washed by Jesus, and then begging for his entire being to be washed, Peter falling asleep in the garden when Jesus asked him to stay awake, Peter afraid to eat with the gentiles because of what the Jews would think, Peter being rebuked by Paul. Peter claiming he’d never desert Christ, Peter slicing off the ear of Malchus, Peter locking eyes with Jesus, the passion in his proclamation that he would never deny Him still fresh in his mind, the bitterness of that denial fresh on his lips as their eyes met. That’s the thing we remember most isn’t it? That he made a proclamation that HE above all others would NEVER abandon the Lord. Then he did in fact do that which he claimed he would never do.

I glean hope from Peter’s life.

How many of us have proclaimed with the passion of our words what we would never do, only to find ourselves sadly locking eyes with our Savior as we realize we have indeed denied him with our very lives?

Peter’s life story offers hope to the bruised reed, and the smoking flax among us whom God promises not to crush or extinguish, because through his life, flawed and sinful as it is and was we can see what the love of Christ can and will do in the life of the one He calls, and isn’t that what “this” is all about?

Not what WE can do but what Christ has done and WILL do in us?

John MacArthur said once in a sermon, that our focus should not be on what we are but on WHOM we are becoming. That’s exactly what we see happening as Andrew excitedly drags Simon over to after a night of fishing to meet Jesus. When the two men meet, Jesus intently fixes his gaze on Simon and announces, “You are Simon--but you will be called Cephas”

Jesus knew what Peter would become.

Fast forward--

Its been a year since that first meeting and a few months since Simon has been following this fella Jesus and we find them together again at the lake after a night of fishing. Jesus has been preaching to a crowd and asks Simon to push one of the boats out so he can continue to preach from the boat. Suddenly Jesus turns to Simon and tells him to go into the deeper water and let down his nets. Keep in mind that these waters have been fished all night with no results. Simon doesn’t argue, he just kind of shrugs, and half-heartedly without expecting any real results (after all he’s JUST fished these waters) lets the nets down. Instantly they are teeming with fish, so many that the boat is about to sink. The other boat is called out and they are filled to capacity as well. About this time Simon realizes Who it is he is with and he becomes frightened. He falls to his knees before Jesus and says, “Please leave me, I am too much a sinner to be in your presence” The reply?

Do not be afraid.

Its constant theme hummed through out Scripture. One I have found myself repeating in the days since Isaac pounded our city. Do not be afraid. Do not let fear control you.

Simon had nothing to fear because the Son of God was with him. In spite our circumstances, we can keep our fear at bay because we know that God loves us and we can trust Him. The reality though, is we don’t. How often are we like Simon? We think we have all the facts of a situation and we shrug with half-hearted obedience only to fall before Him with repentant hearts begging Him to leave us because we know how sinful we STILL are.

And so Simon becomes Peter. He no longer is a fisherman he is a fisher of men. It will be a while before Jesus tells Peter the gates of hell will not prevail upon what He will build upon him, the one now called the rock. This imperfect, sinful man, whom Jesus renamed the rock, because He knew what he would become. He knew his future. He knew the plans He had for him. Guess what? He knows the plans He has for you too.

Do not be afraid. Don’t let fear control you. Your God knows what you are becoming and He can be trusted. You cannot see the BIG picture or the fish in the sea, but He knows even the number of hairs on your head…something to ponder…

More on Peter soon~



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