God Chooses

Acts 1:15-26

New International Version 1984 (NIV1984)

¹⁵ In those days Peter stood up among the believers (a group numbering about a hundred and twenty) ¹⁶ and said, “Brothers, the Scripture had to be fulfilled which the Holy Spirit spoke long ago through the mouth of David concerning Judas, who served as guide for those who arrested Jesus— ¹⁷ he was one of our number and shared in this ministry.”

¹⁸ (With the reward he got for his wickedness, Judas bought a field; there he fell headlong, his body burst open and all his intestines spilled out. ¹⁹ Everyone in Jerusalem heard about this, so they called that field in their language Akeldama, that is, Field of Blood.)

²⁰ “For,” said Peter, “it is written in the book of Psalms,

“‘May his place be deserted;
    let there be no one to dwell in it,’ and,

“‘May another take his place of leadership.’

²¹ Therefore it is necessary to choose one of the men who have been with us the whole time the Lord Jesus went in and out among us,²² beginning from John’s baptism to the time when Jesus was taken up from us. For one of these must become a witness with us of his resurrection.”

²³ So they proposed two men: Joseph called Barsabbas (also known as Justus) and Matthias. ²⁴ Then they prayed, “Lord, you know everyone’s heart. Show us which of these two you have chosen ²⁵ to take over this apostolic ministry, which Judas left to go where he belongs.” ²⁶ Then they cast lots, and the lot fell to Matthias; so he was added to the eleven apostles.

 (http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Acts%201:15-26&version=NIV1984)

As I read this scripture I found it interesting to go back and look at the beginning of the Church as we know it today.  No longer was it a Jewish religion but now one that was based on the resurrection of Jesus Christ.  As I read this scripture I noted that now that Jesus is not amongst the disciples Peter was now the one that was quoting scripture and explaining it to the assembly.  We will find this on more than one occasion in Acts.

You may wonder why they would have felt it necessary to replace the one who betrayed Jesus and Peter points it out that there must be another one to take his place.  Some say that one was not Matthias but that it was Saul who Jesus named Paul to be the one to replace Judas.  However, the believers of the day felt that they were being led to choose Matthias. 

Going back a little in scripture we see that the eleven disciples, women and Mary the mother of Jesus, along with His brothers were all together in the upper room praying constantly.  Remember from the cross that Jesus instructed John that this was now his mother that he was to care for?  This is evidence that he was doing so as he had her there with him.  The women, those women that stood by Jesus to the very end, the women who first discovered that Jesus was no longer in the tomb, his brothers who did not always believe that He was the Son of God, were all together in the upper room constantly in prayer.  They were not going out and taking action, they were not fretting and stewing, they were praying, praying constantly.

Now, after much prayer Peter announcing to the whole assembly, about 120 that they need to appoint a person to replace Judas.  There were specific qualifications that this person must have and it was not the qualifications that we see in scriptures for elders/deacons but rather this man must be someone that had walked and talked with Jesus from the beginning, one who had witnessed the resurrection.  Take special note, the one thing that was being disputed was the resurrection of Christ.  The Sadducee’s of Jesus day did not believe in the resurrection.  The Pharisees refuted it and even bribed the guards to lie about the happenings of the day He was raised so believers needed someone who would testify, without a shadow of a doubt, of the resurrection of Jesus Christ.  You see, there is no other god that is worshipped by man, other than Jesus Christ, who was raised from the dead.  Many others were people who appeared to live life in the right way but only One was truly raised from the dead.

It appears to me that the entire assembly of believers agreed with Peter and prayed that the Lord would show them who He chose.  I have to wonder if this was really how the Lord was going to choose the other Apostle but they seemed to think this is what needed to be done.  Jesus was on the earth for 40 days prior to His ascension, why did He not choose someone then?  They had prayed though and felt the only way to choose was to cast lots.  Did they vote, did they draw straws, did the men draw like in a lottery, did they toss a coin?  I am sure there are scholars who would have their opinion but it just says they cast lots.  In doing this Matthias was chosen and stepped into the role of an apostle.  Was this man’s choosing or did it come from God?  That is a question that we cannot answer but we will see later how He chose one that did not fit the role of an apostle according to our standards but it shows of the power of our Lord and Savior and how He can and will choose the right person for the right job.

Yesterday was election day in the United States of America and people cast their votes for who they felt would be the best leader.  I am sure there were people who prayed who thought they were choosing who God wanted them to choose that were on both sides.  The one that was chosen was not chosen by man but was chosen by God.  Some may question why God would choose him but we need to remember that no matter what, God is in control.  We need to pray for all of our leaders that they may know the One true God.  That they may walk in His path and lead our nation to be the nation we claim to be, One Nation, Under God.

As you seek Him may you find that you are praying constantly and that you are allowing Him to make the choices that are His and not your own.

Seeking Him with all my heart,

Sheila

What Are We Doing?

 Acts 1:9-14

New International Version 1984 (NIV1984)

⁹ After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight.

¹⁰ They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. ¹¹ “Men of Galilee,” they said, “why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come backing the same way you have seen him go into heaven.”

¹² Then they returned to Jerusalem from the hill called the Mount of Olives, a Sabbath day’s walk from the city. ¹³ When they arrived, they went upstairs to the room where they were staying. Those present were Peter, John, James and Andrew; Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew; James son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot, and Judas son of James. ¹⁴ They all joined together constantly in prayer, along with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers.

(http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Acts%201:9-14&version=NIV1984)

Looking up, that is what I would have been doing if I had just seen Jesus rise into the sky!  I find it interesting, the reactions of the disciples in this scripture passage.  What happened around 43 days prior to this and what was the setting?  Jesus was in this same place, praying and sweating drops that appeared to be blood.  He was telling His Father that He recognized that it was time for the Father to be glorified, “not my will but yours”.  The disciples, exhausted from their own worry were sleeping.  In this passage Jesus has their full attention.  These were men who forty days earlier were hiding and fretting, who were anxious of what was coming next.  Now look at them, they are astonished, probably a little surprised as they look into the sky and see their Lord lifted up into the clouds.  No rocket, no hot air balloon, no airplane, just Jesus ascending to the Father in Heaven.  Just about the time you think they have seen it all, suddenly two men dressed in white are right there in the midst.  When they were told that Jesus would come back in the same way, you might think that they would continue to keep their eyes in the sky.  But they didn’t, they returned to Jerusalem as they had been instructed to do.

How does this apply to us today?  My thoughts went back to the place in which they were.  Sometimes I find that the places of most distress turn out to be the places of most joy.  Jesus cried to the Father, He knew things were going to get rough, yet He allowed the Father to work through Him so the Father could be glorified.  Now Jesus is back in that place where He agonized and He is lifted up.  What a glorious experience that must have been!  When we go through trials and troubles of this world, we need to continually pray that the will of the Father is done.  We need to pray that we will remain strong through His power not our own so the Father can be glorified, not ourselves. 

As for the reaction of the disciples, we too need to follow the instructions that are given to us.  We need to live lives that produce much fruit. We need to be in the Word of God so that we know what our instructions are.  Yes, He will return as He went, un-expectantly, He will return.  How will He find us?  Will we be absently staring into the sky or will we be doing the work of our Father?

As you seek Him may you find that you are living in the will of our Father so that He may be glorified.

Seeking Him with all my heart,

Sheila

                                                              

Timing

Acts 1:1-9

New International Version 1984 (NIV1984)

1 In my former book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus began to do and to teach ² until the day he was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles he had chosen. ³ After his suffering, he showed himself to these men and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God. ⁴ On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. ⁵ For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.”

⁶ So when they met together, they asked him, “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?”

⁷ He said to them: “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. ⁸ But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

⁹ After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight.

(http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Acts+1%3A1+-9&version=NIV1984)

Time, most likely we have all asked, “Is it time yet?”  I know I have on many occasions.  I am trying to do things in my time rather than His time.  The disciples were no different; they too wanted to know if it was time yet for Jesus to establish His kingdom.  Just think, if God would have chosen that time to establish His Kingdom, we would not have been there and not only us but think of people like Billy Graham who has been all over this world spreading the Gospel or the many numerous missionaries who have taken God’s word into the very remotest parts of the world.  When Acts was written, they had no idea what was on the other side of the ocean.  What do you think the “ends of the earth” meant to them? 

I do see growth in the disciples though.  Just a little over forty days prior, they did not understand what Jesus was telling them.  They were claiming that they would go to Jesus death with Him and then they all scattered and left Him.  They were so exhausted from worry that they slept when they should have been praying.  They were arguing about who would be first in the Kingdom of God and who would sit by Jesus.  They were not asking those questions now but they did want to know what Jesus was up to.  They were still thinking about the earthly Kingdom and not the Heavenly Kingdom.  They were still concerned about Israel.  They still didn’t have all the answers and then Jesus ascended into the clouds.  They didn’t run and scattered after that but they froze.

How does this apply to our lives?  I must think of all those times that I have thought that I had the answer to the puzzle of life and how I found out that I myself do not have the answers and I froze or I screamed or I simply pouted.   I have to think of the all the times that I wanted God to act a little faster, or how I wanted Him to answer my prayers in my timing and not in His.  I still get a little anxious on this time issue.  Maybe it is the fast paced world we live in but I don’t think so, I think it is our human nature to want things immediately that is why the industries of fast food and the internet have become so successful.  But the Lord tells us that His timing is different from the world’s timing, that we will need to wait and while we wait there is work to be done.  Don’t sit around idly waiting for things to happen but work for the Lord, go to the ends of the Earth to tell others about Him.  The end of the earth for you may be right in your own hometown, maybe into a section of town that you have never ventured.  Maybe your calling is to go across the country or maybe it is to literally go to the ends of the earth.  Go where you are called, maybe it is the job place that you have been for 20 years and maybe it is a new job, a place where you are most comfortable or a place that brings much discomfort, but Jesus says “Go”.  Don’t freeze, Go!

As you seek Him today remember that His timing is perfect it is we who are imperfect, the perfect will of God has the perfect timing, we need to be patient and pray that our timing would coincide with His.

Seeking Him with all my heart,

Sheila 

Our Past, Our Present, Our Prayer

Deuteronomy 4:7-9

New International Version 1984 (NIV1984)

⁷ What other nation is so great as to have their gods near them the way the Lord our God is near us whenever we pray to him? ⁸ And what other nation is so great as to have such righteous decrees and laws as this body of laws I am setting before you today?

⁹ Only be careful, and watch yourselves closely so that you do not forget the things your eyes have seen or let them slip from your heart as long as you live. Teach them to your children and to their children after them.

(http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Deuteronomy%204:%207-9&version=NIV1984)

Today as I began to look at scriptures and ask the Lord what He wanted me to write about, prayer, came to my mind.  So I went to the concordance of my Bible and began looking for scriptures regarding prayer and this was the first one that was listed.  When I read it, I thought, “How fitting for the beginning of this week as we once again face a decision making time in our nation.”

These were the words of Moses to the Israelite people but as I read them, I could see how they are the words for the United States of America as well.  I know I have readers from other countries and maybe these words describe your country too but I only know of the foundation by which our nation was established and that was through the belief in a One True God. 

Against all odds people of God left their home country to come to a place where they could be free to worship God without rules and regulations of another nation.  Against all odds a country was established that proclaimed a trust in God not a trust in gods.  This was no mistake and I truly believe that God was in the midst of these pilgrims as they began a new way or should I say an old way of following and trusting Him. 

Children learned to read using their only textbook, the Bible.  The teachings of God were instilled in them from the time they were old enough to learn.  Our judicial system was based on the ten commandments, our coins stamped with “In God we Trust” and we were free to attend any church of our choosing, no established religion but a faith in God.  The problem today is, other gods are creeping in to our nation and the values and beliefs that this nation was founded on do not hold as true today as they did even 10 years ago and even further from the values and beliefs of 200 years ago.  We can no longer have prayer in our schools and the Bible readings we used to hear in our schools are no longer permitted.  Why?  Partly because of the Protestants and Catholics who could not agree on which Bible should be read and so they decided that they would teach their children on their own.  Now, it is on the churches and the parents to teach the children the ways of the Lord.  Yet many of our churches have fallen away from the traditional Sunday school hour and our children are not being taught as they once were.  Our school systems have struggles not just with teenagers but with the three and four year old students who are entering the door with no structure and no discipline in their lives.  We are not teaching our children in our homes, in our schools or in our churches which is a frightening place to be.

In regards to prayer, have you ever heard someone say, “My prayers hit the ceiling” implying that they didn’t think their prayers traveled high enough to God?  These verses tell us that God is near to us when we pray.  If our prayers are not getting heard by God maybe we have placed another god in His place.  Because when we pray to God those prayers don’t have to travel up and they don’t have to go far because He is near.  Although Moses was speaking to the Israelites, Jesus came to save all of us, not just them.  So, what was true for the Israelites is true for us today.  Pray to God, put all other gods out of the picture and pray to Him, the One True God.

 

Verse 9 makes it clear that we need to watch ourselves that we do not become like the Israelites who adopted the ways of other people, accepted their gods, they forgot about the powers of the Lord, how He saved them from their enemies.  They forgot about the parting of the Red Sea, they began to complain about what they didn’t have rather than what they had.  They disregarded teaching these truths to their children and their grandchildren.  Does this sound like any nation that you may know?  I urge you, no matter where you live, honor God with your lips, teach the children His ways, destroy any idols that are in your life.  Do not accept the gods that are not true but cling to the One True God.  He isn’t far away, He is waiting for us to call upon His name, He is near. 

Those of you who are voting in the United State of America this week, pray for our nation that we will be the nation that our forefathers intended for us to be, pray that we will be the nation that our Father in Heaven intended us to be.  I am convinced that we would not be a nation at all if it were not for God.  When I look at how our nation was won, the men who fought for it were few compared to the established nation that was in opposition yet the Lord allowed this to be a new nation and I truly believe that if it were not so the outcome would have been very different.

We are one nation under God, and if we act that way, we will be indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Pray for our nation that we will remember and teach our children and that we would spread the good news throughout this world.  Seek Him and know that He is near.

Seeking Him with all my heart,

Sheila 

Look Forward Not Behind

 

Colossians 3:1-17

New International Version 1984 (NIV1984)

3 Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. ² Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. ³ For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. ⁴ When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.

⁵ Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. ⁶ Because of these, the wrath of God is coming. ⁷ You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived. ⁸ But now you must rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. ⁹ Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices ¹⁰ and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator. ¹¹ Here there is no Greek or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised,  barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all.

¹² Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. ¹³ Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. ¹⁴ And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.

¹⁵ Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. ¹⁶ Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. ¹⁷ And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

(http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Colossians%203:%201%20-17&version=NIV1984)

Philippians 3:12

New International Version 1984 (NIV1984)

¹² Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.

(http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Philippians%203:12&version=NIV1984)

 

Philippians 4:4-8

New International Version 1984 (NIV1984)

⁴ Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! ⁵ Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. ⁶ Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. ⁷ And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

⁸ Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.

(http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Philippians%204:4%20-%208&version=NIV1984)

I am having one of those times when I am questioning and wondering why life has given me a few little punches.  I struggle inside of me as to whether I truly want to live a life for the Lord or is it more that I want to live a life to please myself.  When I get frustrated with the situations that I find myself in I seem to forget that God has placed me in those situations and if I am really wanting to live a life that is pleasing to Him, I need to be satisfied and content but not complacent in the positions in which I find myself. 

A battle goes on inside of me and I know that battle is because of the worldly influences in life. The world tells us that we need to do things that are pleasing to us.  If we don’t like it we can change it, if we believe in ourselves that we can do anything.  There was a saying on a school here in Ulysses that read, “If you think you can succeed you will succeed” (side note, in the original sign the word “succeed” was misspelled, it read “succedd”, in both spellings of the word).  It wasn’t just the spelling that was wrong in that sign but the message was as well.  Take for example, the person who put that sign up, they probably really thought they knew how to spell the word “succeed” but in actuality they did not know!  As well, the sign did not take into consideration that sometimes, even though we think we can succeed and maybe even have the ability to succeed, obstacles come into our lives that stop that forwarding motions of success.  Those obstacles can be placed into our lives to help us realize that our success is not dependent upon what we do but what the Savior has done for us.  Those obstacles may be there because we have lost sight of why we are in this world or because we are living more for the world than we are for God.  Thinking we can succeed only allows us to put our trust in ourselves rather than our creator.

As I get frustrated with where I am in this world, I need to stop and realize why I am in the world.  Years ago, as a six year old, my life was spared for a reason.  I have lived my life wondering why the Lord would leave me here and take my sister.  It could have been either one of us that was killed and He chose to keep me in the world, the shy one, and He chose to take the vibrant, lively one, full of energy, away to be with Him.  I have never understood that and have tried to live a life pleasing to Him.  I have tried to live life with a purpose.  When things end up going south, I begin to question over and over, why am I here.  But what God is telling me in these scriptures today is this, HE IS IN CONTROL. 

When I look at my life in the eyes of the world, I may see failure, missed opportunities, discouragement, resentment, and the list goes on.  But when I set my eyes on things above, I can see that I have not yet obtained all that is in store for me.  The story did not begin with me and it does not end with my successes or failures.  Anything that I have obtained is from the Lord.  I need to forget the past and move on towards the goal for which God has called me.  I need to do that with love, compassions, forgiveness, and I need to do so with thanksgiving.  I need to be thankful for the life that God has chosen to give me, I need to be thankful for the opportunities that have come my way but I need to always remember that whether I am living in a time of great contentment or whether my life is turned upside down, GOD IS IN CONTROL.  I need to remember that I need to press on towards the mark in which He has called me in Christ Jesus.  It is not the things of this world that win the prize, it is how I respond to the love that Christ has bestowed upon me.  I need not be anxious about anything but rather Rejoice in the Lord, Pray continually that Christ will guard my heart, and I need to think only about those things that are praiseworthy.

As you seek Him today, may you realize that you are nothing without Him.  May you give Him glory and honor and praise for the life that He has given you.

Seeking Him with all my heart,

Sheila   

Grateful for the Miracles

John 21:23-25

New International Version 1984 (NIV1984)

²³ Because of this, the rumor spread among the brothers that this disciple would not die. But Jesus did not say that he would not die; he only said, “If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you?”

²⁴ This is the disciple who testifies to these things and who wrote them down. We know that his testimony is true.

²⁵ Jesus did many other things as well. If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written.

(http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John%2021:23-25&version=NIV1984)

In case you didn’t read the blog prior to this one, let me put this into context.  Jesus was speaking to Peter and telling him how he would die.  Peter asked about John and He told Peter that it was of no concern of his if Jesus chose to keep John alive or not.  From that everyone decided that John would not die.  Have you ever had the words you said changed by others to mean something totally different than what you meant?  I sure have and it is quite frustrating!  Those words that were meant for good turn into words that can cause harm, disbelief, mistrust, and the list goes on.  John is trying to clarify through his own words what Jesus meant by saying this.  If this was not clarified then the death of John could potentially cause some to not believe and that is the last thing that John wanted to happen.  People even today try to take words from the Bible and place them out of context and then claim the Bible contradicts itself, which we know is not true.

What I really wanted to focus on today though is the last part of this scripture passage where John speaks of all the things that Jesus did.  He says that if all of them were written down, the whole world could not contain all the books.   We have seen through this study the words of Jesus, the many miracles He performed, how He took time for people, and how He prayed a lot.  Note that John makes this statement at the end of the book and after the crucifixion and resurrection.  Jesus came back to show His power over death.  He met with many people but the only recorded miracle was Him telling the disciples where to cast their nets.  He didn’t need to come back and repeat what He had already done.  People didn’t recognize Him when He performed the miracles the first time so why would they believe now?

What about today?  We still pray for miracles to be performed, healing to take place, and yet we have in front of us the words of our Lord spoken through the prophets and the apostles.  We see the beginning and the end yet we still have to have more evidence of who He is.  Some people pray and bargain with God, they say “I will believe and turn my life around if you will . . .” If people do not believe through the reading and studying of the Word of God, will they ever believe? 

My question for all of us today is, “What miracle has Jesus performed in your life?”  The miracle He performed in mine could include giving me parents who loved the Lord and taught me His ways, saving my life in an accident as a child, healing from MS, giving me a husband who is a believer and two children who are also believers, giving me a grandchild, and the list goes on BUT the only miracles He needed to perform in my life was the one that He did on that cross and conquering death through His resurrection which all led to the miracle He gave directly to me when I received Him into my life, the miracle of the Holy Spirit to guide and direct me through my life.  Even when I didn’t take the time to acknowledge Him like I should, He has never left me nor has He forsaken me.  This world cannot and does not contain enough words to describe these miracles and there are no words strong enough to convey how grateful I am to Him for the opportunity to have Him in my life.

As you seek Him today, I pray that you too will know of the experience of living a life with Christ, that the Holy Spirit will guide you and direct you to the places and people He has for you.  I pray that you will give Him all the glory for all that He has done and that you will recognize that if there are never any physical miracles in your life that the only miracles you need are those that were fulfilled through Jesus Christ on that cross, His resurrection, and the Holy Spirit dwelling inside of you.

Seeking Him with all my heart,

Sheila

The Path of Following Him

John 21:11-22

New International Version 1984 (NIV1984)

¹¹ Simon Peter climbed aboard and dragged the net ashore. It was full of large fish, 153, but even with so many the net was not torn. ¹² Jesus said to them, “Come and have breakfast.” None of the disciples dared ask him, “Who are you?” They knew it was the Lord. ¹³ Jesus came, took the bread and gave it to them, and did the same with the fish. ¹⁴ This was now the third time Jesus appeared to his disciples after he was raised from the dead.

Jesus Reinstates Peter

¹⁵ When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you truly love me more than these?”

“Yes, Lord,” he said, “you know that I love you.”

Jesus said, “Feed my lambs.”

¹⁶ Again Jesus said, “Simon son of John, do you truly love me?”

He answered, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.”

Jesus said, “Take care of my sheep.”

¹⁷ The third time he said to him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?”         

Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, “Do you love me?”  He said, “Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you.”

Jesus said, “Feed my sheep. ¹⁸ I tell you the truth, when you were younger you dressed yourself and went where you wanted; but when you are old you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go.” ¹⁹ Jesus said this to indicate the kind of death by which Peter would glorify God. Then he said to him, “Follow me!”

²⁰ Peter turned and saw that the disciple whom Jesus loved was following them. (This was the one who had leaned back against Jesus at the supper and had said, “Lord, who is going to betray you?”)  ²¹ When Peter saw him, he asked, “Lord, what about him?”

²² Jesus answered, “If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you? You must follow me.”

(http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John%2021:11-22&version=NIV1984)

I tell the Lord every day that I love Him and one day this scripture came to my mind very clearly after I told Him that I loved Him.  It was that point that I realized that this scripture, although He was talking to Peter, is a scripture for all of us.  If we truly love the Lord it is going to show through what we find pleasure in.  It is going to show by our actions, are we feeding His lambs, are we feeding His sheep, or are we just letting them wander in the wilderness? 

I often wondered why Jesus would ask Peter this question three times and then I realized that He asked Peter the question the same number of times that he had denied Jesus.  Maybe He was just making a point to Peter that yes, you denied me three times but now you have claimed your love to me three times.  His true heart would be revealed in the way that he would die for Christ.  Yes, there was a time that he took care of himself.  He denied Jesus to take care of himself.  Yes, he had claimed that he would die with Christ but when it came right down to the matter, he was too scared to do so.  Jesus is telling Peter here that he knows his heart and that Peter meant it when he said that he would die with Christ, it was just not his time yet.

By now Peter had seen the results of miraculous resurrection of Christ and now that Christ was alive I am not sure that he really wanted to go through a death as Christ had foretold that he would suffer through.  So, Peter looks around and asks about his brother in Christ, wondering if he would have to endure the same things as Peter.  How human of Peter, misery loves company!  I must say that I can identify with Peter on that one.

This scripture really spoke to me today as I read the last part where Peter was asking about the fate of John.  I have done the same exact thing and it happened just a couple of days ago.   I look at people who seemed to have escaped disappointment and frustration and I wonder why I have not.  Then today, as I read this scripture, I realized that God has put us on a path, my path is not the same as theirs and it is not my place to question where they are nor is it my place to question where I am.  My place is where God puts me and where His glory can be revealed the most through my life.  So as I journey on in this life, I must stay on the path that He has chosen for me, I must feed His lambs and feed His sheep, I must show Him by my words and actions that I truly do love Him.  What business is it of mine as to where God has placed others?

As you seek Him, may you find yourself looking towards Him, telling Him that you love Him and then putting those words into action by following His will for your life.

Seeking Him with all my heart and loving Him more and more,

Sheila