How Our Choices Could Separate Us From God
Luke 22:31-34 31 And the Lord said , Simon, Simon, behold , Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat: 32 But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted , strengthen thy brethren. 33 And he said unto him, Lord, I am ready to go with thee, both into prison, and to death. 34 And he said , I tell thee, Peter, the cock shall not crow this day, before that thou shalt thrice deny that thou knowest me.
During a week of consecration at my home church, I was reading this Scripture. Jesus told Peter that he would deny Him. Even as Christians we sometimes get so focused on worldly things that we forget about God. We have too many bills, too many relationship problems and too much pain so we start looking at our problem and find we are no longer looking at God.
Right after Jesus told Peter that he would deny Him, Jesus was crucified. Can you imagine what Peter must have felt? In Luke 19:28-38 Jesus is on his way to Jerusalem. The disciples are expecting Jesus to reign over Israel. Could this be the day? Is the time now? All they had longed for and hoped for could now become a reality. Jesus has set his sight on Jerusalem. He comes riding in on a donkey and the disciples are going wild. Excitement fills the air. Vs. 37-38: 37 And when he was come nigh , even now at the descent of the mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works that they had seen ; 38 Saying , Blessed be the King that cometh in the name of the Lord: peace in heaven, and glory in the highest.
The disciples are expecting great things. But the next thing you know Jesus is telling Peter that he is going to deny the Lord and Savior, the very one Peter has put his hope in and has given up everything for. He swears he would never do such a thing. But circumstances happen that makes Peter do that very thing. You and I have found our self in the same place as Peter. Only can you imagine what it was like for Peter? After denying Jesus, Jesus goes and gets himself crucified. He dies on Peter. He is no longer there for Peter. Peter can’t tell Him that he’s sorry. For three days Peter no longer has any hope. His mind had to remember every last moment he spent with Jesus. He goes over the last three years of his life and all that he felt toward Jesus; and now this. But Jesus is gone. I can imagine the devastation Peter must have felt. One day the gates of heaven will be shut and those who have made a choice to walk away from God will never be allowed in.
After reading these Scriptures and thinking what it was like for Peter, during the consecration services at church, a special speaker, Pastor Clutter spoke about making that one choice that leads us out of God’s will. He spoke about a young man who was passionate about God and thought God was calling him to be a missionary. But something happened and one day that same young man threw his Bible in the mud and walked away from God. A few short years later he committed suicide. He made a choice that forever separated him from God.
I thought about that and about the choice Peter made and how terrible it would be to make that one bad choice and then want to turn back to God only to find Him gone forever. God showed me that I was becoming focused on the things of this world, my finances, my relationships, house repairs, mechanic bills… He said not to take Him for granted.
When Peter was told that Jesus had risen from the dead, I can imagine how he felt. Dare he believe? Dare he hope? When God brought me out of the abuse I had been in all my life, I couldn’t believe it could happen. I didn’t dare hope that I could really be set free from being abused. In a book called Hinds Feet in High Places, the Shepherd told Much-Afraid “dare to be happy for the time is not long now and I will give you your heart’s desire”. Much-Afraid wanted to be happy and to love and serve the Shepherd but she was afraid of everything, of life, of people, of being happy, of ever being able to love. That is what I’ve been like. Because of the abuse I never thought I could be set free. God brought me out and He has called me to help others who have been victimized by the evil in this world.
But in order to do what He has called me to do, I must focus on Him. I cannot take Him for granted and think He will take care of everything and make it all turn out like it should. I have to make daily choices that will keep me close to Him or they could just as easy make me walk away from Him. We are each responsible for the choices we make. Peter had a happy ending. The young man who walked away from God did not. Lk. 22:3 Then entered Satan into Judas surnamed Iscariot, being of the number of the twelve. Judas, who betrayed Jesus did not have a happy ending. I desire above all else to have a happy ending, spending this life in a deepening relationship with God and spending eternity with him. What is your choice?
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