April 3 Devotion

“When I try, I fail. When I trust, He succeeds.”
Anonymous

Scriptures: John 18:15-27 and John 21

Foolishly, we may try to serve God depending on our own strength and willpower. We can be shocked to recognize just how weak we are without His strength.

Such was the case with the disciple Peter, whose human frailty was exposed before he learned to trust God for His strength. In the 18th chapter of John, after Jesus was arrested, Peter stood outside the court of the high priest, warming himself next to a charcoal fire. Peter was surrounded by court officers and slaves. In this lonely, frightening time, Peter must still have been troubled by Jesus’ statement to him the night before. Jesus had said, “Before the cock crows three times, you will deny me.”

“Me?” Peter must have thought. At the time of Jesus’ declaration, Peter had been bragging that he would lay down his own life for Jesus. Now, in front of this fire, his weakness came to light. Three times Peter was asked about Jesus, and three times he denied any association with Him. As Peter denied Jesus for the third time, a cock crowed signaling the dawn of a new day.

Fortunately for Peter, Jesus had a plan to overcome his weakness. In the days following the resurrection, Jesus made a startling appearance before Peter. At the dawn of a new day, Peter and his crew returned to shore from a bad night of fishing. They’d caught nothing. Jesus stood on the shore next to a charcoal fire. He called to Peter to throw out his nets on the other side of his boat if he wanted to catch fish.

Peter did as he was told and moved the nets. Immediately the nets were filled with fish. At that point, Peter recognized the man on shore as Jesus. Peter jumped from the boat and swam to meet Him. Jesus invited Peter to eat a breakfast of fish and bread He had prepared over the charcoal fire. After breakfast, Jesus asked Peter three times if he loved Him. “Yes, Lord, You know that I do,” Peter answered each time. Peter was grieved that Jesus would keep asking the same question for a second and third time.

In His wisdom, Jesus had recreated the scene of Peter’s denial. Just like “the scene of the crime,” Jesus appeared with Peter at dawn next to a burning charcoal fire. Peter, who had denied Jesus three times, was asked to profess his love for Jesus three times. Transformed by obedience, Peter changed from a powerless fisherman to an empowered Christian, able to stand as the rock of the newly formed church.

Prayer: Lord, you alone are my strength. Forgive me for trying so hard on my own when all you ask me o do is trust You or the power you have promised.

Allyson Schoenlein