2 April 2010
Psalm 22; Lam. 3:1-9, 19-33; 1 Pet. 1:10-20; John 13:36-38

The lament begins to turn to hope. The final sentences of the lament are filled with bitterness, they describe a person like Job whose very existence becomes a torment and then, suddenly, the lament turns to remembering who the Lord is. The truth of the steadfast lovingkindness of God becomes hope breaking in. “The Lord is my portion, therefore I will hope in him” is an important realization and affirmation. It is not simply a nice aphorism, it must be a reality for us, He must be our portion if we are to have hope and persevere in difficult times. So long as we look for solace and support in other places we will continually be disappointed. It isn’t natural to us to wait on the Lord or to seek Him, we are accustomed to making things happen and yet if we do not wait upon the Lord we will not know His consolations and mercies.

How painful it must have been for Peter when he realized that his denials fulfilled Jesus’ prophetic words. It would have been of little consolation to him that Jesus was a great prophet to have told him these things. Peter wanted to be bold, believed he would be bold, but when the heat got turned up he melted. Once restored, after the resurrection, however, Peter became much bolder. Where in the hour of need Peter denied Jesus to even slave girls, he later boldly proclaimed Jesus before the Sanhedrin “there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved." The Holy Spirit can give someone the courage they want to have for the Gospel.

“Like obedient children, do not be conformed to the desires that you formerly had in ignorance.” Peter had his own desires when he was in ignorance, before Christ was fully revealed. He had a desire for a Messiah without a cross and he had a desire to be important in the kingdom of the Messiah in the way of earthly importance rather than the way Jesus offered, the way of servanthood. Have we contemplated the truth of the cross, the way of the cross in our own lives lately? Today is the day to consider what the cross looks like in your life right now, what is the action God is calling you to take to bear the cross of the suffering servant in order to reach others? Taking up the cross is a good corrective to the desires of the flesh.

From you comes my praise in the great congregation;
my vows I will perform before those who fear him.
The afflicted shall eat and be satisfied;
those who seek him shall praise the LORD!
May your hearts live forever!