devotional post # 2067

Luke 22:31-34

Luk 22:31 “Simon, Simon, notice, Satan has asked about you, to shake you like wheat in a sieve,
Luk 22:32 but I have prayed for you that your faith may not die out. And once you have turned again, strengthen your brothers.”
Luk 22:33 He said to him, “Lord, I am ready to go with you both to prison and to death.”
Luk 22:34 But he said, “I am telling you, Peter, the rooster will not crow this day, until you deny three times that you know me.”

shaken, to strengthen

Jesus gave Peter both a warning, and a command. The warning was that he was about to go through a time of shaking, and would even deny knowing Jesus. But Jesus looked beyond that time of shaking, and encouraged Peter to do it too. He commanded Peter to shake off the shaking, and return to who he was — a discipling disciple. Once back in his right mind, the shaken disciple is to become a strengthening discipler.

LORD, show us how to turn our tough times into opportunities to strengthen our brothers and sisters.