EVEN IN FAILURE
TODAY’S SCRIPTURE
When they entered the tomb, they saw a young man clothed in a white robe sitting on the right side. The women were shocked, but the angel said, “Don’t be alarmed. You are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He isn’t here! He is risen from the dead! Look, this is where they laid his body. Now go and tell his disciples, including Peter, that Jesus is going ahead of you to Galilee. You will see him there, just as he told you before he died.”
Mark 16:5-7 NLT
TODAY’S THOUGHT
It is early on the morning of resurrection. It is the first Easter. The women come expecting to prepare a dead body for proper burial; instead, they find an empty tomb. On the way they were concerned about the large rock that guarded the door of the tomb—they didn’t know how they could move it to get entrance to the tomb. They were shocked to see the stone already moved. They enter the tomb, and an angel greets them. The angel shows them the place where Jesus had laid and tells them “He is risen.” Then the angel gives specific instructions, “Go and tell his disciples, including Peter, that Jesus is going ahead of you to Galilee.” Two words jump out to me from this directive. The words are, “including Peter.” Almighty God wanted Peter to know that regardless of his failure to keep his promise to never deny Jesus and regardless of how many times he did deny Jesus, he was still included in the invitation to meet the risen Jesus. How many times do we discount people or ourselves because of times of failure and defeat? We tend to label people because we think of their past. But God was looking at Peter with grace and mercy. He was not through with Peter. God had a plan for Peter that was not finished. Peter didn’t know it but in just over a month he would be the guest speaker at the birthday of the church and three thousand people would become followers of Christ. God had a plan for Peter even in his failure and mess. God has a plan for us when we aren’t perfect. He sees us when our life is in shambles. When we mess up and break our promise, God still has grace and mercy. When we choose to repent and surrender to God’s plan amazing things begin to happen in and through our lives. Your past does not have to determine your future. God’s grace determines your future.
TODAY’S PRAYER
Holy Spirit help me to see myself and others the way God sees both. Help me to accept Your grace and mercy.
“Scroll down to share what you feel God is saying based on today’s reading.”