He [Peter] denied it again with an oath:
“I don’t know the man!”
Matthew 26:72
What would you do if you were faced with denying your Lord or losing your life? Sitting in my comfortable office in the United States, it is easy for me to say, “Oh, I would not deny Jesus! I couldn’t do that!” When I am faced with death, however, I can really only hope and pray that I would stand true to my faith.
Look at Peter – a faithful disciple, a strong friend, a man eager to further the ministry of Christ. Jesus even warned him that catastrophe was right around the corner, and Peter swore that he would never deny his Lord.. But around that glowing bonfire, before the servants, soldiers and politicians who were there to watch the kangaroo court trial, Peter’s faith failed and his mouth poured forth curses and denials. At a glance from his Savior, Peter fled into the oblivion of night – a broken man. He had his life, but he had lost part of his soul.
I often think of the young girl at Columbine High School in Colorado who was asked by one of the teenage killers whether she believed in God [not Cassie Bernall, whose story has come under question, but Valeen Schnurr]. She had to have instinctively known that this was not a game of 20 Questions. She was already bleeding from wounds caused by 34 shotgun pellets, but she had the courage to say YES. The gunman reloaded his weapon, then turned elsewhere; Valeen crawled away and survived.
Please pray today for those individuals around the world who are suffering for their faith and beliefs. Pray for courage and strength, for them and for us.
Day 11 of prayer for West Africa
Thank you for your continued prayers for the audit team.
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