Peter just denied the Lord for the third time, then he remembered the words Jesus spoke, “Before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.” So he went out and wept bitterly.” (Matt. 26:72-75) When we “mess up” the devil loves to constantly remind us of our failure but here is what the Lord says “I, even I, am He who blots out your transgressions for My own sake; And I will NOT REMEMBER YOUR SINS.” (Isaiah 43:25) Being constantly reminded of our failures can be very disheartening so, we are challenged by the Word of God, “…if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have PASSED AWAY; behold, all things have become NEW.” (2 Corin. 5:17)
So, what do we do with the “new” Paul says, “…everything else is worthless when compared with the excellence of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord…I STRAIN TO REACH THE END and receive the prize because of what Christ Jesus did for us. One thing I do, FORGETTING THOSE THINGS WHICH ARE BEHIND and REACHING FORWARD to those things which are ahead…” (Phil. 3:13-14)
The Lord tells us how we can reach forward, “Call to Me, and I WILL ANSWER YOU, and SHOW YOU great and mighty things, which you do not know.” (Jeremiah 33:3)
-Bill Stockham