Peter

"Then they returned from the tomb and announced all these things to the eleven and to all the others,…But their story seemed like nonsense and they did not believe them. But Peter got up and ran to the tomb, bent down, and saw the burial cloths alone; then he went home amazed at what had happened." - Luke 24:9,11-12

When Jesus died, the apostles lost all hope. Regardless of what He had said to them, they thought His death was the end and they were distraught. That first Easter Sunday, Mary Magdalene and some of the women went to visit the tomb and instead were greeted by angels telling them to not look for the living among the dead. Jesus had resurrected! But, of course, this sound absolutely ridiculous to the apostles, and especially because it was coming from a bunch of women. Surely, if Jesus were to resurrect, He would appear to them first, I'm sure they thought. Nothing these women said was credible, but when it came to the power of Christ and what He is capable of, Peter would no longer let any doubt or fear keep Him from following His Lord, and he ran to the tomb.

We know from scripture that Peter was a flawed man who meant well. He believed in Jesus, but sometimes didn't quite understand what His plans were. He followed Jesus, but couldn't take the pressure when the going got tough. This happens to so many of us. God's plans for us don't seem to be clear. We want to be people of faith but stress and problems make it hard for us to keep up with an active prayer life. But if we're going to be like Peter, we need to be like him to the end. Another quality Peter possessed was that he never gave up on his faith. Although he denied Jesus and left him at his lowest point, Peter repented and made sure to be at that tomb if the women said He was resurrected. At the point where the logical person would say it was nonsense, Peter was there because nothing is impossible with God. We can be like Peter in our lives. It doesn't matter if we've struggled before and had our ups and downs. During the moments when we really need strength to pull us through and we can't see ahead of us, we can be like Peter and just trust and go to where Jesus is calling us to be.

Today's Prayer:
Jesus, like Peter I've denied You by not always doing Your will. I do want to follow You, though, if You help me to trust. Help me be like Peter, who fell, but picked himself up and never doubted You again. In Jesus' Name we pray, amen.

Lumineux: Letting God's Light Shine
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