God Uses Broken People (Part 4): Peter
Text: Luke 5:1-11
“but I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned again, strengthen your brothers.” —Jesus (Luke 22:32)
In last week’s devotion, we talked about when God called you He already factored in your brokenness. He already factored in your weakness. He already factored in your scars, your failures, your dysfunction, your stupidity, and your foolishness. He even factored in your FUTURE failures. Peter’s relationship with Jesus is textual proof of this.
I travel on airplanes very often. I can tell you without a doubt that I have never boarded an airplane and proceeded to give the pilot a flight plan on how to execute his job. If I attempted to, I’d probably get escorted off the plane. Yet in Luke 5, we see a carpenter giving a professional fisherman instructions on how to do his job.
Peter tries to explain to Jesus that he’s already done his job, toiling all evening without a catch, and it doesn’t make sense to go back out. My speculation is that under his breath, Peter is questioning why a carpenter is trying to tell him how to do his job. Nevertheless, out of respect for the Rabbi, Peter does what Jesus tells him to and it is a humbling moment for Peter. The ensuing miraculous catch brings Peter to a life-changing encounter from which he will never be the same.
Jesus calls Peter to follow Him and the faith adventure is on. Over the next three years, Peter will get overconfident in his own strength, demonstrate impulsive behaviors, make promises he can’t keep, will attempt to cut off an officer’s head, and in three consecutive scenarios cowardly deny ever knowing Jesus. But do you know what this broken disciple had going for him? Jesus was praying for him (Luke 22:32), just like He is praying for you and me today (Hebrews 7:25).
After Peter denied Jesus, he relapsed and went back to his old ways. But Jesus never gave up on Peter. Jesus pursued him all the way back to where he found him the first time… fishing. It’s here that Jesus recommissioned Peter, reaffirmed his calling, and gave him a redirection to get back on the right path of loving people well and “feeding God’s lambs” (John 21:1-22). Jesus uses Peter to build his church and the disciple ends up finishing strong in his God-calling.
If you’ve been known to blow your witness for Christ a time or two, you’re in pretty good company. Your failures and frustrations over spiritual “Kryptonite” moments don’t push Jesus away, they are simply reminders that you can’t do this thing without Him. You need His grace every day to grow in Christlikeness, and to catch you when you are weakened. Jesus doesn’t run out on broken people, he pursues them, even all the way back to where he first found them, and recommissions them out of failure. Think about that as you seek to abide in him this week.
PRAYER
Heavenly Father, you have always used broken people to accomplish your purposes in a broken world. Help me to know that the only thing that is truly unbroken, is your constant love and steadfast faithfulness. Help me to find sufficiency in your grace, that even in weakness your strength would be made perfect. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Questions for Personal Reflection or Group Discussion:
- In what aspects of Peter’s life or character can you relate to?
- When has Jesus called you to do something that went against your logic or experience?
- When has God shown himself strong in your weakness?
- In contrast to Peter’s inconsistencies, what do we see consistent with Christ in this relationship?
- Do you need to confess a relapse in your faith so that you can be restored to a right path in your walk with Jesus?