LUKE 22:31-34 – ““Simon, Simon, behold, Satan demanded to have you, that he might sift you like wheat, but I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned again, strengthen your brothers.” Peter said to him, “Lord, I am ready to go with you both to prison and to death.” Jesus said, “I tell you, Peter, the rooster will not crow this day, until you deny three times that you know me.””
THEME OF THE DAY: THE WISE TEACHER CALLED FAILURE. One of the most comforting truths about the Lord Jesus is His praying for us. In the New Testament letter to the Hebrews, we are told the Lord constantly prays for us – “Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them” (Hebrews 7:25).
In today’s scripture, Jesus prays for Peter, and what He prays for is insightful in our understanding of how the Lord works in the lives of His children. Jesus recognizes the spiritual opposition in Peter’s life, and that alone is a lesson we should always remember. And in this arena of warfare comes the necessity of prayer.
Jesus says, “I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail.” Go over that short prayer again slowly. Our Lord does not say, “I have prayed for you that you don’t fail.” He knew Simon would fail. He knew Simon needed to fail, but He prayed that Simon’s faith would not fail and it did not. Simon’s faith was severely tested but it held, and by his failure, he was humbled. He went from an impulsive, prideful, and self-sufficient disciple to a humble, loving, thoughtful, and effective follower of Jesus. What made the difference? Failure. The wise teacher called failure did its work in Peter’s life and it will in us as well.
As failure comes into our lives, especially spiritual failures, be on the lookout for two things. First, God’s mercy and grace. In our failures, the devil will rush in with loud screams of condemnation to our hearts. And failure is fertile ground for the devil’s work. So, in our failures, make sure we don’t fall into a deep pit of discouragement caused by the fiery darts of condemnation from the devil.
The second thing to watch for in our failures is the lessons we may learn from the Lord. He is an eager teacher and has promised to reveal Himself to us, even in our failures – “And though the Lord give you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction, yet your Teacher will not hide himself anymore, but your eyes shall see your Teacher. And your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, “This is the way, walk in it,” when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left” (Isaiah 30:20-21). Failing times are to be teaching times.
God has many teachers He uses in our lives. Suffering, waiting, and failure are three choice ones. Let’s be good students and learn the lessons He would have for us!
PRAYER: Father, thank You for using my failures to teach and not cause You to abandon me.
REFLECTION: All things work together for good in our lives and that includes our many failings.