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Caught Between Two Fires

As Simon Peter stood warming himself, he was asked, "You are not one of his disciples, are you?" He denied it, saying, "I am not."
John 18:25

Earlier, Peter defends Jesus by cutting off the high priest’s servant’s ear; now he’s denying Him. Ever had that happen? Under pressure your backbone turns to jello and you falter. Now what do you do? (a) Dismiss it and say, ‘Everybody slips, it’s no big deal.’ (b) Deny it and say, Fall? Are you kidding? Not me! (c) Distort it and say, ‘Don’t blame me; it’s society’s fault!’ But there’s another option - deal with it honestly! When Frederick the Great, King of Russia, visited Potsdam Prison, every prisoner claimed to be innocent. Only one said, ‘I’m guilty; I deserve my punishment.’ When the king heard this he told the warden, ‘Quickly, release him before he corrupts all these other innocent men!’ Listen: ‘Nothing can hide from the God to Whom we must explain all that we have done. (Hebrews 4:13). Confession isn’t just telling God what you’ve done; He already knows that. It’s agreeing that it’s wrong and asking forgiveness. God can’t heal what you won’t reveal, or cleanse what you won’t confess. That day, Peter stood before two fires: first, the fire of denial; second, the fire of discovery. The first fire was made by men; the second fire was made by the Master. At the first, Peter denied Jesus; at the second, he acknowledged Him as Lord. But in between were two life-changing experiences: Peter’s tears and Jesus’ cross. When your tears of remorse mingle with God’s forgiveness, the result is always losing your guilt and finding new joy!

Prayer
Heavenly Father, help me to “fess up” and be honest with myself and you – so that you can forgive and help me move forward with my life. In Jesus’ Precious Name, Amen