May 11

Peter, the great Apostle, knew about the impetuousness of the human spirit that runs ahead of God. He always had things figured out before Jesus could lead him and he always attempted to persuade the Lord to implement his plan. Additionally, Peter knew about sin firsthand for he had denied Christ.

Peter also knew firsthand the joy of being forgiven and of being granted another opportunity to do it right. When the rooster crowed after his third denial of the Lord and he wept bitterly (Matthew 26:75), he must have been sure there would be no further opportunity to serve the Christ he followed.

Peter must have been sure there was no reason to serve the Christ he had followed for three years. Like the other disciples, he had abandoned everything to learn from this itinerant preacher. He could not have known how dramatic a turn Christ’s ministry—and thereby his own life—was about to take that fateful morning at Golgotha. But when he saw the risen Jesus, it fell into place! It made sense!

And Peter did what he then admonished us to do when we have failed the Lord, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” (Acts 2:38) When we have the Holy Spirit dwelling within, we are no longer bound by our limitations. We are set free through Him as we daily die to ourselves and allow ourselves to serve Him in the power of who He is, not within the constraints of who we are.