I’m not usually a huge fan of devotionals; however, I wanted to intentionally recognize this Lenten season, and , I came across this free devotional. I’ve not read it consistently, but God may have led me to it for just one day…Day 5.
It’s about Peter. I know about Peter. I know Peter’s role in Good Friday. He denied Jesus, not once, but three times. Three is a significant number in the Bible. It symbolizes completeness. Peter completely and totally denied Jesus when He was at His weakest. It was like kicking Him when He was down.
For some reason (providential I’m sure), this hit me right between the eyes. Jesus knows exactly how I (and thousands of other adoptive families) feel.
We always talk about how Jesus knows our pain, but this wasn’t hypothetical.
This was real.
We talk about how He was rejected by society and that’s what landed Him on the cross, but Peter was a close friend.
This was personal.
Whenever I’ve considered the suffering of Christ, the image of the actual, physical crucifixion comes to mind. The rejection never seemed significant until I experienced it so intensely firsthand.
I tend to have pity parties for myself when my kids from hard places reject me. Now, I’ll think of Peter and Jesus and read 1 Peter 4 and remember how God redeemed Peter’s rejection and used it for God’s glory.
What has God taught you this Lenten season?
I just heard my first ” I hate you” two days ago.
Home two years in August.,She will be 13 next week. We raised 4 bio boys…..30 to 21yrs old now.
Attending my first ” empowered to connect “conference April 8,9 via satellite here in central NJ.
I too look to the fellowship of the sufferings of Christ for grace. This was all His plan, He will see us through. When we made our final decision to adopt , the scripture that stood out to me was one on suffering. I didn’t write it down so I’ve been looking for it this week. I was in a “Charles Stanley devotional Bible” at the time…. Was probably a comment Dr Stanley made … I’m still looking.
Patricia,
It doesn’t matter how much your head knows where those words come from, they still pierce a mama’s heart. Keep on keepin’ on!