September 22, 2003 Monday
Unfailing Faith

"Peter remembered the word of Jesus, which said unto him, Before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice. And he went out, and wept bitterly." Matthew 26:75

In God's ministry there are two types of people who are removed from His service: those who are removed by God Himself and those who remove themselves. As God's child I must be aware that I myself can become the very instrument of satan in bringing God's working through my life to an instantaneous halt. We know that God desires to transfigure His children day by day into something more glorious than we have ever imagined, as 2 Corinthians 4:16 says, "For which cause we faint not; but though out outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day." However, have we learned how to deal with the realization that we have yet to become everything God desires us to be? When he denied the Lord, Peter immediately realized that he hadn't yet fully become the faith-filled man which he so desperately longed to be, and he "remembered the word of Jesus...and he went out, and wept bitterly." The Lord already knows all of your faults, don't try to hide them from Him; He knows exactly when and how they will be manifested...He knows that our faith isn't yet unfailing. He knew Peter's time of failure would soon arise and He told him upfront, "Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat". (Luke 22:31) When these moments arise in our life we must be prepared to fight because satan will be prepared to sift like wheat every last ounce of faith that we are gripping onto as he strives to decoy us into removing ourselves from the Lord's ministry. The Lord, however, didn't inform Peter solely of his failures, but He also informed him of the redeeming strength as He said, "I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not". (Luke 22:32) As Heaven's greatest prayer warrior, Jesus Christ Himself is sweating drops of blood as He is praying for you, much like He did in the garden. Don't allow your failures to pull you lower "seeing he ever liveth to make intercession". (Hebrews 7:25) In the midst of your failing faith open your eyes and see Him praying for you.