🙌It's the Friday Call to Worship!🙌

I've been writing YouVersion Bible reading plans. This week's call to worship is inspired by a plan that journeys through the last days before Jesus' crucifixion.

----

Have you ever read stories of the disciples and wondered, "How could you do that? Jesus is LITERALLY right there with you!" Luke 22 recounts Jesus telling Peter he would deny Him three times before the rooster's first morning crow. Despite the "warning", Peter fulfilled the prophesy that very same night.

Me too, Peter.

I love 5am. That's when I open God's Word and lay my life down before Him. Usually by 10am, I've taken back control, grumbled, and picked up a few offenses along the way. I get shocked Peter can deny Jesus three times in an evening, yet my thoughts can beat that in less than an hour.

When I look at the Scripture a little longer, I wonder if Jesus really was trying in vain to stop Peter's denial. Perhaps He was reauthoring that rooster's crow to become an, "I love you anyway" reference point... a prompt to pull him away from shame and back to Jesus. That is the Biblical narrative.

Jesus' precursor to prophesying Peter's triple denial was, "I have prayed for you.. that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers." (Luke 22:32)

Jesus was praying for Peter on the way to His own torturous death. He didn't pray for Peter not to screw up, but that he wouldn't lose heart. The Lord's hope for Peter was, when that rooster crowed, Peter would remember he is loved anyway. Peter would be able to look back and see how God Himself was fanning the flame of purpose with the shortcomings of the flesh.

When we go back to Jesus... When we don't lose heart... He uses even our lowest points to instill eternal purpose in us. You become more of you the closer you get to Him.

Listen to "Can't Help But Worship" by Danny Gokey and Naomi Raine.