Read the Word:
Mark 14:66-72
Meditate on the Word:
Hours before this episode, Jesus warns Peter in Mark 14:30 that Peter will deny his Lord. We see that Peter is very confident in his ability to stand strong. Yet, after a night of falling asleep instead of praying, then angrily drawing his sword, then hiding in fear for his life, Peter makes the denials that he was warned about. Peter missed an opportunity earlier in the night to pray for strength to not deny Jesus. Instead, he relied on his own strength. His own strength failed him at that moment.
Verse 68 gives another important detail. After Peter’s first denial, when he moved to the entryway, a rooster crowed. Jesus had warned Peter that before the rooster crowed twice, he would deny Him three times. That first crowing of the rooster was sent as a warning. It should have gotten Peter’s attention and brought to mind the words of the Lord. But he ignored the first crowing and went on to deny the Lord two more times. The second crowing was not a warning, but conviction. It was too late to heed the warning; he had already denied the Lord. What if Peter had heeded the Lord’s warnings?
Pray the Word:
Ask the Lord for wisdom to recognize any warnings that He gives to you.
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