Nothing Apart From Him

Re:Verse passage – John 18:15-18, 25-27 (day five)

Peter learned the hard way where His source of strength and power came from. We often think of Peter being an intense, loyal, bold man. After all, Peter was a man that cast out demons. Someone who had said he would follow Jesus anywhere and do anything for Him. A man who was outspoken about how much he loved Jesus. Someone that spoke up in truth and first recognized Jesus as the Christ. On the other hand, we can say that Peter was disloyal, brash, and fearful. He was the one with the quick temper. The one that acted in rashness to cut a man’s ear off. The one to deny Jesus three times, even though he had been warned that it would happen.

The night that Peter denied Jesus showed Peter just how dependent on Jesus he was. He learned that apart from Jesus, he was weak and fearful. He was not strong. He was not loyal. He was not brave. But that is not what defined Peter forever. Soon, Peter would receive restoration and hope from Jesus that would rouse him to be the intense, bold, and loyal man that Jesus knew Him to be. Yes, it was humbling and hard to learn the way he did. But He learned that his strength, power, and everything else came from Jesus. And there is nothing better than to know that.

Apart from Jesus, we are nothing compared to what Jesus knows us to be. Aren’t you grateful for His restoration and hope in spite of your daily failings? Aren’t you grateful that He makes you better?