Feed My Sheep

Do you ever have those days when you are just dumb-founded by grace? I do. A lot. Mostly because I need His grace... a lot. Thursday was a dumb-founded by grace day.

A friend of mine retold Simon Peter's story to me today, and I encountered Jesus. You remember Peter's story: He boldly told Jesus that he would go with Him to prison and even death, but instead Peter denied His Lord three times. Once he realized what he had done, Peter spent the rest of the night weeping bitterly (Luke 22:31-34, 54-62). Even after seeing Jesus resurrected and being commissioned and given the Holy Spirit, Peter went back to fishing - his way of life prior to his relationship with Jesus (John 20-21).

Isn't it like Satan to do that? We totally mess up and he convinces us that we can't be who God created us to be. We have to return to our old way of doing things. We have to go back to our nets and fish.

But... if we listen to Jesus, we'll hear something completely different.

After helping Peter and friends catch some fish, Jesus invited them to breakfast. After breakfast, Jesus asked Peter if he loved Him three times. This is where I'm fascinated: If we could read Greek, we'd find that first, Jesus asks Peter if he "'agape's" Him. (Agape is that perfect, unconditional love God gives.) Peter answers with, "Yes, Lord. You know I 'phileo' You." (Phileo is that imperfect, friendship kind of love we, as humans, can give.)

Whoa. Peter told Jesus that his own love for Him is conditional, imperfect, and ultimately weak. Peter just confessed to the only Son of God that he is incapable of loving Him perfectly. So what happens next? Does Jesus reprimand Peter? Does He tell Peter that phileo love isn't enough? That Peter needs to work on ____, ____, and ____??

No. Jesus responds immediately with, "Feed My sheep."

Wow. Peter recognizes his own weakness, knowing that he can't 'agape' Jesus. Peter knows that he's only capable of 'phileo' love and confesses it. And JESUS ACCEPTS IT. Not only accepts it, but restores Peter and tells him to do what he was created to do: Feed His sheep. (John 21:15-19)

WOW. I'm dumb-founded.

"Satan has asked to sift you like wheat. But I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail. And you, when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers." Luke 22:31-32 (HCSB)

With a Broken Heart...

It's days like this when I remember this is not my Home. This past week was full of so many heartaches, I don't even know where to begin. (The Lord, in His infinite mercy, provided plenty of reliefs, though, so I don't mean to be a total Debbie Downer.) It's heartaches like these that lead us to cling to the Almighty:

A dissolved marriage.

A chemo patient.

A seizure.

A crime.

My heart is just in pieces for all these people. If you would say a prayer for each of the people involved in the above events, I would be so grateful. God knows who you'd be talking about. May they each find rest in the shadow of their Almighty.

"He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High shall rest in the shadow of the Almighty." Psalm 91:1