The life of Peter intrigues me. The fisherman’s journey to becoming a faithful Christ follower took a series of unexpected turns. From his first encounter with Jesus, life took on new meaning.

After Peter fished for years, Jesus told him He’d make him a fisher of people. (Matthew 4:18-20) Peter must have wondered what he would use for a net.  Jesus would provide that too. It would be soaked in truth and woven with undeniable grace. But before using “the net,” Peter would become intimately acquainted with the fabric of forgiveness.

In his 3 years of walking with Jesus, he had many bold moments.

Peter is the only person who walked on the water with Christ. It may have been brief, but it was courageous. (Matthew 14:22-33)

As the other disciples shared public opinion about who Jesus was, Peter said what he believed: “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God” (Luke 9:18-20 NIV).

I like his boldness, but Peter had some bad days too.

When a young girl identified him as one of Christ’s disciples, Peter started cursing and said, “I don’t know the Man.” Just as Christ foretold, Peter denied Him three times before the rooster crowed. (see Matthew 26: 31-35 and 69-74)

Days later, Jesus died on the Cross for Peter’s denials and all the rest of humanity’s sins. The Bible doesn’t tell us what Peter did that day. But I imagine he sunk to the depths of despair, as he grieved Christ’s death and his own epic failure.

Undoubtedly, Jesus deserves our complete allegiance. Yet He knows, at some point, each of us will completely fail.

We’ll choose to stay with the familiar when He calls us to walk by faith.

We’ll think about walking on water until we see the wind and the waves.

We’ll choose self-preservation over Savior declaration.

But Jesus still loves us and calls us to be His disciples. Hence, I don’t wonder how Peter could deny Christ. I wonder how I can avoid doing the same. It’s not limited to a public display of disloyalty. Sometimes it’s done in private.

I could deny Him access to my heart and what I love or fear the most. Holding back on a truth He wants declared or resisting the way He wants me to spend my time, talent, or treasure, are ways of denying Jesus too.

We may not hear a rooster crow after such misdeeds. But we may see a dream fade or cause a ripple effect of consequences.

However, Peter’s restoration encourages me. There is a moment where he and the resurrected Christ are alone. The Messiah asked Peter,

 “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me more than these?”

He said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.”

He said to him, “Feed My lambs.” (John 21:15-19 NKJV)

The two of them go through the same question, followed by the same answer and the same command three times. But this time there was no rooster crowing. There was only grace covering.

Peter went from immeasurable regret to undeniable grace. Soaked in forgiveness, his boldness returned. New revelation was received. He was completely hooked. The fisherman went to fish for anyone who needed to hear on their bold days or bad days, Jesus saves.

I’m soaked in His forgiveness too. And whether this is one of our bold days in the faith or a bad day, I believe Peter would want us to know one thing. Grace gives us blessings we don’t deserve, so we’ll know God in ways we can’t deny.

Let’s pray about it:

Dear God, Thank You for giving Your Son for my sins. Jesus can calm any storm, change any heart, and conquer any foe. In my moments of weakness and fear, grant me strength and courage to say and do what honors You. May I serve you with loyalty and love through Your undeniable grace. In Jesus’s name, Amen.