Do You Love Me?
By Joyce Wachsmuth--
The following is a devotion by Henry and Richard Blackaby on January 1:
Resolutions
"“When they had eaten breakfast, Jesus asked Simon Peter, ‘Simon, son of John, do you love Me more than these?” John 21:15.
“Jesus has a wonderful way of restoring us when we fail Him! He does not humiliate us. He does not criticize us. He does not ask us to make a resolution to try harder. Rather, He takes us aside and asks us to reaffirm our love for Him.
Peter miserably failed his Lord when he fled with the other disciples from the Garden of Gethsemane. Later, he publicly denied that he even knew Jesus. Peter must have wondered if he had been capable of being Jesus’ disciple when he was unfaithful to Jesus in His most crucial hour.
As you begin a new year, you may be painfully aware that you have failed your Lord in many ways. Perhaps you disobeyed His word to you. Perhaps you denied Him by the way you lived. Jesus will take you aside, as He did Peter. He will not berate you. He will not humiliate you. He will ask you to examine your love for Him. He asked Peter, ”Do you love Me?” If your answer, like Peter’s, is “Yes, Lord,” He will reaffirm His will for you. If you truly love Him, you will obey Him (John 14:15). Jesus does not need your resolutions, your recommitments or your promises to try harder this year. If your resolve to obey God last year did not help you to be faithful, it will not make you successful this year. Jesus asks for your love. If you truly love Him, your service for Him in the new year will be of the quality that He desires.”
My husband, Doug, and I were humbled after reading this devotion on January 1. We asked ourselves the question that Jesus asked Peter, “Do you love Me?” In the past we have made many resolutions that after a few weeks had been broken. The one resolution I would make for several years was that I would read the Bible every day. When I failed, I would beat myself up and say, "I need to try harder." I did feel like a failure. It is so reassuring that Jesus doesn’t humiliate us when we fail.
He is asking you and me, “Do you love Me?” Do we love Him above every relationship, every material possession we own, above our jobs and ministry, above our health, above our schedules, and above our failures? Taking time to reflect on where we are in our love for Him is vital to our continued intimacy with Jesus. Together let’s take the time to answer that question, “Do you love Me?” Remember, Jesus doesn’t need our resolutions or recommitments. He asks for our love and our obedience, PERIOD!
Happy New Year GPBC Community! I love each one of you and look forward to serving and loving Jesus with you all in 2022!