First Step - day 22

Today’s Bible Reading

Luke 22:54-62

54 Then seizing [Jesus], they led Him away and took Him into the house of the high priest. Peter followed at a distance. 55 But when they had kindled a fire in the middle of the courtyard and had sat down together, Peter sat down with them. 56 A servant girl saw him seated there in the firelight. She looked closely at him and said, “This man was with Him.” 57 But he denied it. “Woman, I don’t know Him,” he said. 58 A little later someone else saw him and said, “You also are one of them.” “Man, I am not!” Peter replied. 59 About an hour later another asserted, “Certainly this fellow was with Him, for he is a Galilean.” 60 Peter replied, “Man, I don’t know what you’re talking about!” Just as he was speaking, the rooster crowed. 61 The Lord turned and looked straight at Peter. Then Peter remembered the word the Lord had spoken to him: “Before the rooster crows today, you will disown Me three times.” 62 And he went outside and wept bitterly.

Applying God’s Word in My Life:

1. What did Peter do wrong? (read also Luke 22:34).

2. What kind of look did Peter see on Jesus’ face? (v.61). Why did Peter weep bitterly? (v.62).

3. Carefully examine your life. What are you struggling with or trying to hide from God? Have you confessed and said sorry to Him? Do so right now.

Today’s Key Verse:

Luke 22:62

And [Peter] went outside and wept bitterly.

What’s Next?

The night before Jesus was crucified, two of His disciples turned against Him. Judas betrayed Christ, leading His enemies to Him in the Garden (Luke 22:47-48). And Peter denied three times that he even knew the Lord (vv.57-60).

But the difference in what they did next was enormous. Peter wept bitter tears of repentance (which is genuine sorrow before God) and later was gently restored (v.62; John 21:15-17); but Judas hanged himself (Matthew 27:5).

When we commit a sin, the most important thing is what we do next. If we lose our temper, hurt a friend or find we are obsessed with selfish thoughts, what do we do next? To make excuses, to justify our behaviour, to blame others or to ignore God is only to add more sin to the first. Perhaps as you’ve been reading this, the Holy Spirit has brought

your attention to some sin in your life. If so, you’re faced with a choice—to say sorry to God (1 John 1:9), or to continue denying that you have a problem.

When you sin, don’t add to it with more sin. Take it immediately to the Lord in prayerful confession. The most important thing is what you do next! —Dave

Egner

Repentance is to leave the sin

That I had loved before, And show that I am grieved by it By doing it no more. —Anon.

Denial adds to our sin; confession cancels it.