July 6, 2022
Ponder This
Peter was surprised at his failure. Nobody was more surprised than Peter. Peter was not a hypocrite, and he meant it when he said, “Lord, I will go with you to prison and to death.” (See Luke 22:33.) Many times, I have done things, I have had thoughts and words erupt out of me, and I have literally been surprised at myself. I would say, “Where did that come from?” Peter did not realize what was in him. But he learned that, despite it all, Jesus, who is in complete control, had never stopped loving him.
There is nothing you can do that will make Him love you more than He loves you. And nothing you can do will stop Him from loving you. You may believe you have to earn His love. No, you don’t. The Bible says, “God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). This is the sovereign grace of God. When you fail, don’t ever let the devil say, “He is finished with you. He doesn’t love you anymore. He has written you off.” He has not. He loves you. This Christ of sovereignty is the Christ of sympathy. Thank God for that.
- What tempts you to believe you can make God love you more or less?
- How are you encouraged to know that’s not true? How are you challenged?
Practice This
Journal today about how you would live differently if you truly believed God would never love you more or less than He does now in Jesus.
FOR YOUR GIFT TO THE MINISTRY
Front Porch Moments by Gayle Foster
WITH KEY INSIGHTS FROM HER FATHER, ADRIAN ROGERS
I try to unplug each morning with Jesus with just my rocking chair, my Bible, and a pen.
Having a secret place is very important because I know that Jesus is always there waiting for me. I know where I can find Him! His presence is everywhere, but there are places where it is so thick you can cut it with a knife. You may not even have a front porch, but there is a secret place for you as well. God’s invitations are for anyone who will respond. There is no more important request than the one found in Psalm 27:8: “My heart has heard You say, ‘Come and talk with Me.’ And my heart responds, ‘Lord, I am coming.’”
