the predicted turn and the needed comfort

"Simon Peter asked him, “Lord, where are you going?”
Jesus replied, “Where I am going, you cannot follow now, but you will follow later.”
³⁷ Peter asked, “Lord, why can’t I follow you now? I will lay down my life for you.”
³⁸ Then Jesus answered, “Will you really lay down your life for me? I tell you the truth, before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times!" John 13:36-38

heart-strong Peter is ready to follow...now.
Jesus tells him he is not
"Peter, you're going to turn away from me..."
 "No way, Jesus!  I'm ready to die for you!"

"Not yet, Peter.  
Your heart is going to be tried,
put through the fires,
attacked in every way,
but it will be redeemed,
restored,
refined."

Jesus offers comfort after this difficult exchange...

“Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. ² In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. ³ And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. ⁴ You know the way to the place where I am going.” John 14:1-4

He teaches and comforts and challenges all in one sitting.  

I love Him.

He is to be trusted.

He is worthy.

some trust

Some trust in chariots and some in horses,
    but we trust in the name of the Lord our God. Proverbs 20:7

But I trust in you, O Lord;
    I say, “You are my God.” Psalm 31:14

my heart longs to rest in You, to trust in You
my soul desires quiet there in Your midst...

please keep me from trusting in man
from seeking others in whom i might place my trust

maintain my trust in You
let my heart hold fast to You

clinging to You
anchored to You
holding to You
stayed with You
satisfied in You

resting in You 
trusting in You
sure of You
yielded to You
following You
certain in You

i love You, Lord.

 

Valentine's Day

I love love.

I love that there is an entire day devoted to love.

I love that one of the things most easily set aside and replaced by selfish ambition and vain conceit is placed at the forefront for a day.

It is lovely, this love.

It is what the world needs more of.

It is embodied and taught and detailed and illustrated in the most perfect way by the most perfect One.

What a lovely picture, that of God loving so much that He would send Jesus to not just love us with life, but love us so much He would die in our place and rise from that death. 

Death could not keep Him down; Love claimed the greatest victory in life.

Love continues to trump any cards that may be played against it.

I love that.

I do love love.

I love that God loved first. 

What a love.

What a Savior.

What a beautiful day.

Advocates, Proponents, Supporters

I may die with a sunburn, with no political ties, having never voted for the right president, without having been part of a club or organization, without fighting for rights of animals, or without being heard at a city hall meeting in my counter against a store with a concern for the number of bushes being planted around it.

Lord, when I come to die, let me die with no regrets.  Live Yourself through me that when my end comes, I welcome it with great joy, knowing all was expended on my behalf to draw souls to You.  All was expended on my behalf yearning for more of You.  All was expended by You for me on the cross.  Let me die with a heart empty of regrets but rejoicing in the sheep You’ve drawn into Your fold.

Let us not be a Christian people of distractions, large and small.  Let us not be a Christian people distracted by our advocating for all the things so closely tied to this world.  Let us cut the ties to worldly living so that we may live for Christ lives that spread His aroma to those near and far from us, that they might be drawn near to the Savior.

Oh, Lord, that we might be called worthy and faithful as we advocate Christ alone.