Last night I was doing my Bible reading in Luke 22. Jesus had told Peter that he would deny him three times. Peter, of course, had said that he would never deny the Lord. As we know, Peter did deny Jesus.
Luke 22:60: But Peter said, “'Man, I do not know what you are talking about.' And immediately, while he was still speaking, the rooster crowed.
Luke 22:61: And the Lord turned and looked at Peter. And Peter remembered the saying of the Lord, how he had said to him, “Before the rooster crows today, you will deny me three times.”
Luke 22:62: And he went out and wept bitterly."}
The part of verse 61 that says, "And the Lord turned and looked at Peter" always makes me stop and think. It makes me imagine how I would feel if I were Peter...if I had just denied the Lord, not even once, but three times. Then remembering what Christ told me - turning to look at Jesus...and seeing him simply look back at me. How ashamed I would be. Just as Peter was - he went out and wept bitterly. Just those two verses are so powerful to me. It makes me imagine the scene in my head every single time. But the same thing happens to us. We need to fully realize that God sees all we do. God is looking at us, seeing everything we do when we do right or wrong. When we're doing something wrong, He is there, looking at us. We just can't look back at Him and see Him doing it. How would we feel if we could see God seeing us when we do wrong? We should always try to do right and live holy lives. I think it's possible for us to sometimes forget the seriousness of sin, and forget that God is watching everything we do.
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In the past few days, I've heard of and seen that many people, people who I used to be good friends with, and people I used to know, leave the Church. It has made me so sad. They're leaving the Church when they should have been deeply , firmly grounded in it. Please, please, we must do everything we can to help people like this, ones I know, and ones that you know, to come back to the Church. And if you think you see someone you know beginning to possibly falter, {maybe it's just some attitudes, dress, actions, whatever it is...} speak to them about it. Because my friends, it is so much better to say something now, than to have remained silent, and later wonder if there was something you could have done.
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"After this many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him. So Jesus said to the Twelve, '“Do you want to go away as well?' Simon Peter answered him,' “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.'"
~John 6:66-68~
~John 6:66-68~
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