Rising Up Out of the Ashes to Greatness!

Have you ever stood and boldly declared your allegiance to GOD and His mission for your life only to fall flat on your face when the opportunity came? We’ve all done it at one time or another. It’s easy to stand before believers and make such a declaration but when it comes to doing it before the world; we discover quickly, it isn’t quite so easy. Facing the ridicule or laughter of the world is just not something we enjoy doing, but it is a necessary part of our Christian walk.

Consider Peter’s situation for a moment. Jesus had His disciples gathered around Himself on that final night telling them things were about to change drastically for all of them as His crucifixion neared. He turned to Peter and offered up a word of warning of what he was about to encounter.

Jesus looked him in the eye and said: “Simon, Simon, look out! Satan has asked to sift you like wheat. But I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail. And you, when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers” (Luke 22:31-32 HCSB). Note that Satan had to ask permission from GOD to gain access to Peter in order to tempt and test him.

Why did GOD allow it? Why did GOD give him the go-ahead? Why does GOD allow Satan to mess with you? To tempt you? To test you? To make your life difficult at times?

The answer is simple, yet quite complex—that you might be strengthened! Notice Jesus tells Peter, I have prayed for you; I have interceded on your behalf to the Father that your faith remains strong, and when you have failed, that you will rise up to greater heights than you ever imagined.

Jesus knew Peter would succumb to the temptation, but Jesus prayed that after he did, he would rise from the ashes into a greater man of faith than ever before. When you and I fall to temptation, which we will do, remember Jesus is standing in the gap for us in our behalf before the Father; praying that we may rise up stronger and better equipped than ever before.

Peter, in his humanness, responded to Jesus: “Lord, I’m ready to go with You both to prison and to death!” (v. 33). But Jesus looked at him and said: “I tell you, Peter, the rooster will not crow today until you deny three times that you know Me!” (v. 34). Peter, you are going to deny you even know me, not just one time but three times.

How often do we deny we know Jesus? How often do we fail to speak up on His behalf when we should? That is denial of Him! How often do we engage ourselves in worldly actions and say worldly things? That is denial of Him and of our own personal relationship with Him! I’m afraid we deny Him a great deal more than we even realize by our own refusal to speak up and speak out on what is right, true and Godly!

Certainly, over the next day, Peter’s life was drug deep into the ash pile. He fervently denied he even knew Jesus at that most critical hour. The Scripture tells us that immediately after his third denial the rooster crowed, “and he went outside and wept bitterly” (v. 62). I am certain that event haunted Peter more than anything else ever in his life over the next several days.

Jesus could’ve just written him off as unworthy to continue serving Him—but He didn’t. John tells us that following His resurrection, Jesus moved in close to Peter and not once but three times asked him: “Simon, son of John, do you love Me?” (John 21:16). Peter responded: “Lord, You know everything! You know that I love You” (v. 17). Jesus responded: “Feed My sheep!” (v. 17).

Jesus not only restored Peter into fellowship with Himself, but Peter went from being a learner to being a leader. Jesus lifted him from the ashes into greatness for the sake of the kingdom of GOD!

In your failure, Jesus doesn’t forget you and consider you unworthy to ever carry out His work again. Jesus desires to restore and in His restoration, He will move you to a higher plain because of the strength in your faith that has been accomplished through your moment of failure.

Certainly, I am in no wise encouraging failure to reach higher but should there be a moment of failure, step out of it into the Light of Jesus Christ, learn from that moment and utilize the process Jesus has brought you through to strengthen and build up others. “Be strong in the LORD and in His mighty power!” (Ephesians 6:10 NLT).

Scripture Reading: “Lord, I seek refuge in You; never let me be disgraced. In Your justice, rescue and deliver me; listen closely to me and save me. Be a rock of refuge for me, where I can always go. Give the command to save me, for You are my rock and fortress. Deliver me, my God, from the hand of the wicked, from the grasp of the unjust and oppressive. For You are my hope, Lord God , my confidence from my youth. I have leaned on You from birth; You took me from my mother’s womb. My praise is always about You. I have become an ominous sign to many, but You are my strong refuge. My mouth is full of praise and honor to You all day long. Don’t discard me in my old age: as my strength fails, do not abandon me. For my enemies talk about me, and those who spy on me plot together, saying, ‘God has abandoned him; chase him and catch him, for there is no one to rescue him.’ God, do not be far from me; my God, hurry to help me. May my adversaries be disgraced and confounded; may those who seek my harm be covered with disgrace and humiliation. But I will hope continually and will praise You more and more. My mouth will tell about Your righteousness and Your salvation all day long, though I cannot sum them up. I come because of the mighty acts of the Lord God; I will proclaim Your righteousness, Yours alone. God, You have taught me from my youth, and I still proclaim Your wonderful works. Even when I am old and gray, God, do not abandon me. Then I will proclaim Your power to another generation, Your strength to all who are to come. Your righteousness reaches heaven, God, You who have done great things; God, who is like You? You caused me to experience many troubles and misfortunes, but You will revive me again. You will bring me up again, even from the depths of the earth. You will increase my honor and comfort me once again. Therefore, with a lute I will praise You for Your faithfulness, my God; I will sing to You with a harp, Holy One of Israel. My lips will shout for joy when I sing praise to You, because You have redeemed me. Therefore, my tongue will proclaim Your righteousness all day long, for those who seek my harm will be disgraced and confounded” (Psalm 71 HCSB).

Personal Prayer: Father, I know I often fail You. I realize through some of my actions, I stand in denial that You are truly the King and Lord of my life. Please forgive me for such actions. Please help me to stand tall and upright for You and for those things which impact Your heart, O my GOD! I thank You for restoring me back to You in times past. Thank You for raising me up out of the ashes of denial to places of greatness in and through You. I love You and praise You for all You do for me, in me and through me!…in Jesus’ name, I pray…AMEN!