Peter's Training Through Brokenness.

We continue our meditation on Peter’s brokenness and his being made tender to the Lord through his threefold denial of Christ. While we have sufficient resources to fight our battles, the Lord often allows us to persist until we reach a point of brokenness and surrender of self-will.

For the LORD will vindicate his people and have compassion on his servants, when he sees that their power is gone and there is none remaining, bond or free (Deuteronomy 32:36).

The Holy Spirit will lead us to a place where we feel helpless and at the end of ourselves. When we reach the point of crying out to Him, and God’s work in us is complete, then the Lord shows compassion on us. That is, when He sees that our strength is gone and we have no backup plan, God steps in to fight our battles. When we are weak, then we are strong in Him (1 Corinthians 1:27-29). Can I ask you, dear brothers and sisters in Christ, what is God is teaching you through your life experiences right now? Are you going through a situation similar to Peter's, something that is breaking your heart before God?

In Chapter 18 of the book of Jeremiah, the Lord told the prophet to go down to the potter's house, where he watched him shape a jar of clay on a wheel. The clay vessel was misshapen and unusable. The potter removed it from the wheel and started again with soft, pliable clay to form it into what he intended. The lesson God was teaching Jeremiah, Peter, and us is that God can reshape each of us through brokenness. All He needs is a broken and contrite heart: “My sacrifice, O God, is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart you, God, will not despise” (Psalm 51:17). A.W. Tozer once said, "God never uses a man greatly until he has hurt him deeply."

Brokenness? What does it mean?

Brokenness is God's work in a person's life, leading to surrender and full dependence on the Father’s care. John Collinson, an English vicar, expressed it this way:

“When doing the will of God means that even my Christian brothers may not understand, and I remember that even His brothers did not understand or believe in Him, I bow my head to obey and accept the misunderstanding; this is brokenness. When I am misrepresented or deliberately misinterpreted, and I remember that Jesus was falsely accused, but He held His peace, I accept the accusation without trying to justify myself—this is brokenness. When another is preferred before me, and I am deliberately passed over, and I remember that they cried, "Away with this man and release unto us Barabbas,' I bow my head and accept rejection, that is brokenness.

When my plans are dismissed, and I see the work of years destroyed by others' ambitions, I remember that Jesus allowed them to lead Him away to crucify Him, and He accepted that place of failure, and I bow my head and accept the injustice without bitterness—that is brokenness. When to be right with my God requires taking the humble path of confession and restitution, I recall that Jesus made Himself of no reputation and humbled Himself to death, even the death of the cross. I bow my head and prepare to accept the shame of exposure—that is brokenness. When others unfairly take advantage of me because I am a Christian and treat my belongings as communal property, I remember that they stripped Christ and cast lots for His garments. I bow my head and joyfully accept the spoiling of my goods for His sake—that is brokenness.

When someone treats me unfairly, I remember when Christ was crucified, and He prayed, "Father, forgive them for they know not what they do." I bow my head and accept any behavior toward me as permitted by my heavenly Father—this is brokenness. When people expect the impossible of me, more than time and human strength can provide, I remember that Jesus said, "This is my body given for you," and I repent of my self-indulgence and lack of self-giving for others—this is brokenness."

May you find Christ’s strength today in whatever you are going through. Keith Thomas

The video teaching on The Three Time Denial of Peter the Apostle is one of more than 100 YouTube videos. Here’s the link to it: https://youtu.be/J0HeOB6D6_w. The written study #61 in Luke is found at the following link: Peter, the Broken Disciple