Reset Your Place

Did Peter not understand? Is that why he rejected Jesus' plan?

Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life.
Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. “Never, Lord!” he said. “This shall never happen to you!” Matthew 16:21-22

How often do we reject God's plan and even his promises because God is not doing things the way we would? Do we reject God simply because we do not understand? Oh, Lord God, deliver us from the temptation to think we can be in charge of you!  Let us take our place after you, following your one and only begotten Son Jesus, listening for your voice, and being willing to just follow and trust that YOU know best. Come, Holy Spirit, enlighten our minds with faith and trust, so we are not deceived by our desire to control you and your plans.

What was it that Jesus saw in Peter that caused him to say "Get behind me Satan!" (Mt 16:23)? Did Jesus recognize from eternity past the very attitude that the devil showed when he rebelled against God? Is MY so-called "need" to understand that dangerous? Oh, Lord, deliver me and set me right! Give me faith to simply follow Jesus, come what may, because I trust your promises! Send your Holy Spirit to fill and control me. Jesus, bring me back to my place, reset me to second, never pretending to be in the lead, only following you.

The words above have been given to me in preparation for preaching this coming Sunday, Sep. 30, at Crossroads Community Church.  This will be the third message in the "RESET" series. There are so many times in life when we really want to be in control when God says no, just trust me. Praying for submission to God, to Jesus, will bring both peace and power, no matter how difficult the hour.

I am not skilled to understand
What God hath willed, what God hath planned;
I only know that at His right hand
Is One Who is my Savior!

I take Him at His word indeed;
“Christ died for sinners”—this I read;
For in my heart I find a need
Of Him to be my Savior!

That He should leave His place on high
And come for sinful man to die,
You count it strange? So once did I,
Before I knew my Savior!

And oh, that He fulfilled may see
The travail of His soul in me,
And with His work contented be,
As I with my dear Savior!

Yea, living, dying, let me bring
My strength, my solace from this Spring;
That He Who lives to be my King
Once died to be my Savior!

(poem by Dora Greenwell - http://allpoetry.com/Dora_Greenwell)

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