May 16 Devotion - Strong Weak People

 

Peter said to Him, Lord, why cannot I follow You now? I will lay down my life for You.

³⁸ Jesus answered, Will you [really] lay down your life for Me? I assure you, most solemnly I tell you, before a rooster crows, you will deny Me [completely disown Me] three times.

عَادَ بُطْرُسُ يَسْأَلُ: «يَا سَيِّدُ، لِمَاذَا لَا أَقْدِرُ أَنْ أَتْبَعَكَ الآنَ؟ إِنِّي أَبْذِلُ حَيَاتِي عِوَضاً عَنْكَ!» ³⁸ أَجَابَهُ يَسُوعُ: «أَتَبْذِلُ حَيَاتَكَ عِوَضاً عَنِّي؟ الْحَقَّ الْحَقَّ أَقُولُ لَكَ: لَا يَصِيحُ الدِّيكُ حَتَّى تَكُونَ قَدْ أَنْكَرْتَنِي ثَلاثَ مَرَّاتٍ!»

John 13:37-38

 

Do not let your hearts be troubled (distressed, agitated). You believe in and adhere to and trust in and rely on God; believe in and adhere to and trust in and rely also on Me.

 لا تَضْطَرِبْ قُلُوبُكُمْ. أَنْتُمْ تُؤْمِنُونَ بِاللهِ، فَآمِنُوا بِي أَيْضاً

 

John 14: 1

 

All the disciples must have been troubled about Jesus' predictions of betrayal, denial, and departure. After all, if Peter's commitment was shaky, then every disciple should be aware of his own weaknesses.

In the Greek, the pronoun your is plural; therefore, Jesus was speaking to Peter and to all the other disciples.

Jesus did not want his followers to imitate Peter's impulsive self-confidence. Potential weaknesses and possible failures trouble us. So we don't like to think about them. Peter denied his own frailty and claimed more faith than he had.

Jesus' solution for troubled hearts requires us to trust in Him. Trust does not mean pretending we are strong; it means recognizing our weakness and need for God's help. If we believe for a moment that we can follow Jesus in our own strength, we will fail as miserably as Peter.

 

I invite you to repeat the following prayer for yourself:

Abba Father, thank You that You have provided for my weakness by sending the Comforter (Counselor, Helper, Intercessor, Advocate, Strengthener, Standby), The Holy Spirit, in Jesus’ name [in Jesus’ place, to represent Him and act on His behalf], to teach me to trust in You and in Jesus and replace my troubled heart with Your peace. Lord, I admit my weakness and my need for the help of The Holy Spirit to comfort me strengthen me and give me wise counsel.  Thank You Father God for Your abundant blessings and for the riches of Your grace. God I pray to You in the name of Your precious Son; my Redeemer and Saviour; the Lord of my life, Jesus Christ. To Jesus be the power, the glory, the majesty, the blessings, and the dominion before all time and now and forevermore. Amen.

Jesus loves you,

In Him,

Wagdi Henein