From Hero to Zero

Jesus turned and said to Peter, "Get behind Me, Satan! You are an offense to Me, for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men." -Matthew 16:23

You've got to love Peter. In one of the most significant moments in Jesus' life, He had asked His followers if they knew who He really was. Peter spoke up and said, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God" (Matthew 16:16). Very good Pete.   But only a moment later, Jesus explained that His role as the Christ was to suffer at the hands of religious leaders and be put to death. When Jesus spoke those words, Peter interrupted, "No way that's going to happen to You!" (see Matthew 16:22). So Jesus put him in his place.   The ways of God are sometimes very different from what we can imagine. In fact, they can be the polar opposite of what we think is good and right and fair. For Jesus, the Father's path led Him to betrayal and the Cross, and then to a glorious resurrection. In the same way, God may lead us through dark times in our lives before we come out into the light. If we fight against Him, we earn His correction, but if we trust that He will eventually lead us into the light, we can walk with Him even in the darkest moments of our lives.   Arguing with Him may be natural, but it's counterproductive. Just ask Peter.   "God's will is what every one of us would choose if we had all of God's facts." - Ike Reighard This devotion is taken from The One Year Daily Insights with Zig Ziglar, a republished title from OMF Literature.