Sunday, February 26, 2017

Don't Want to Go

Don't Want to Go
February 27, 2017
John 21:18 "Very truly I tell you, when you were younger you dressed yourself and went where you wanted; but when you are old you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go."

Peter was an amazing man of God. Jesus counted Peter as one of His personal friends, not just a disciple. The Lord used Peter in mighty ways, though Peter never saw the results of his own life. Peter's hard work echos in our lives today as one of the founding fathers of the church. Peter never set out to be a great hero; he set out to love the Lord and follow Him. His only plan in life was to do the work of the Lord. In doing so, being willing to be used of the Lord, Peter didn't understand what he was getting himself into. All Peter knew was that he loved the Lord and was willing to be used for the Lord's glory. But the Lord got to pick how Peter glorified Him.

Recall Jesus asked Peter to feed His sheep. Peter said he was willing. Then Jesus said something amazing to Peter that Peter never ever understood this side of Heaven. Jesus said that Peter would be led by others where he did not want to go. This was a foreshadowing of Peter's death but Peter didn't know it. All Peter knew was that he wanted to be used by the Lord. The Lord had it in mind to allow Peter a martyr's death, execution style. Peter didn't know what he was signing up for; He didn't see it coming. Had Peter known, I wonder if he would have still followed the Lord. Would you?  If the Lord appeared to you today and asked if you wanted to follow Him, I'm sure your answer would be a resounding Yes.  But if the Lord appeared to you and asked you if you wanted to die a martyr's death, would you sign up or have some reservation? I doubt few of us would follow the Lord's design for our lives if He spelled out what we were going to have to walk through on His behalf. There are times I question it for sure.

Peter wanted to follow the Lord, but Jesus knew Peter wouldn't actually want to die the martyr's death.  That was the Lord's design, to know Peter's future, plan it out, but only reveal what Peter needed to know. When it came down to it, overall, yes, Peter wanted to follow the Lord. But there were parts that Peter didn't want to do, like die the way he was executed. Some say Peter understood when Jesus mentioned it years before, that Peter would die in that manner, but the book of John was not written most likely until after Peter's death and that line was inserted almost after the fact. Either way, it is doubtful Peter knew the full ramifications of the prophecy of his own death. There were portions of Peter's life that he didn't want, yet was still willing to go through it on account of the Lord. There are portions of your life that you will not want, but you get to decide now if you will move forward with it anyway.

The last line inserted almost after the fact about Peter's death is the most important. It reads that Peter's death, the thing Peter wouldn't want to do, would be that very thing that Glorified the Lord. The thing you don't necessarily want in your life, might be the very thing that the Lord intends for you to go through in order to Glorify Him. So, I'll ask you, do you want to live for the Lord?  If the answer is yes, then you might live through some difficult situations all just to lead something or someone to the Lord, pointing to Him. And you might never ever see the results. When you go through difficulty, the things you don't want to do, consider this, THIS, might be for the Lord's glory.

Don't take my word for it; look it up:  John 21, Romans 9:21, 2 Tim 2:20

No comments: