Ready to go with you to prison and to death …

By: American Decency Staff

With Easter coming this Sunday, many of us have been hearing messages regarding Christ’s life, death, burial and resurrection.

In our congregation, we heard a message regarding Peter and his bold words:  Peter said to him, “Lord, I am ready to go with you both to prison and to death.”  [Luke 22:33]

Our pastor, though acknowledging that there is a need for boldness, emphasized the importance of humility contrasted with the boldness that Peter is so known for and which many of us appreciate about this mighty man of valour.  Yet, we also recognize that despite Peter’s boldness (at that point of his life), he shortly thereafter denied Christ – not once but three times.
http://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?SID=3201619427

Talk is cheap.  We’ve all seen it.  We see it during this primary season.  “When I’m President, I will ….”

Most of us love boldness but I much prefer those who, though they not be flamboyant, yet are steady, sure and whose words (though perhaps few) match their actions. 

Not one of us can possibly know how we would respond when given the choice between sparing our life or that of our loved ones by denying Christ as opposed to martyrdom because we would not bow the knee to ….

Yet if we’re honest with ourselves, don’t we all deny Christ in the “small” things when we fail to speak or act when we should?  Each day is a new call to deny ourselves, take up our cross, and follow Him.

Who is to know?  The Lord knows.   And many in our inner circles will know too, as they see those who live out the verse – “though He slay me yet I will trust in Him.” 

Those behind the scenes, quietly serving as able.  Living, trusting, giving, serving with little to no human recognition, taken for granted, yet trusting, serving, giving, and loving others.

Bold?  Not so bold necessarily, but true.   These words (below) will speak to someone reading this as it did to me.

A NEW BEATITUDE

"And blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in Me."– Mat 11:6.

OUR LORD put within the reach of His noble Forerunner the blessedness of those who have not seen and yet have believed; of those who trust Him though they are slain; of those who wait the Lord's pleasure; and of those who cannot understand His dealings, but rest in what they know of His heart. This is the beatitude of the unoffended, of those who do not stumble over the mystery of God's dealings with their life.

This Blessedness is within our reach also. There are times when we are overpowered with the mystery of life and nature. The world is so full of pain and sorrow, strong hearts seem breaking under an intolerable load. God's children are sometimes the most bitterly tried. For them the fires are heated seven times; they suffer, not only at the hand of man, but the heavens seem as brass to their cries and tears. The enemy of souls has reason to challenge them with the taunt, "Where is now your God?"

You and I have perhaps been in this plight. We have said, "Hath God forgotten to be gracious? Has He in anger shut up His tender mercies?" We are tempted to stumble; we are prone to fall over the mysteries of God's dealings with us. But it is then that we have the chance of inheriting this new beatitude. If we refuse to bend under the mighty hand of God–questioning, chafing, murmuring at His appointments–we miss the door which would admit us into rich and unalloyed happiness; we fumble about the latch, but it is not lifted. But if we will quiet our souls like a weaned child, anointing our heads and washing our faces, then light will break in on us from the eternal morning. The peace of God will keep our hearts and minds, and we shall enter upon this blessedness of which our Lord speaks.

PRAYER

Forgive our sins, our faithless tears, and our repining murmurs. Lift us on the tide of Thy love into fuller, richer, deeper experiences. May we know what it is to have Christ in us, the Hope of Glory. AMEN.
F.B. Meyer, Our Daily Walk

Lastly, and truly some of you may very possibly boldly articulate Peter’s words and say and be able to live up to his very words:  “Lord, I am ready to go with you both to prison and to death.”

Whatever our situation, may God prepare our hearts and lives to “be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:”  I Peter 3:15

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