Saturday, February 14, 2015

Remembering His Words

J.A. Matteson

When we are with Jesus he shares divine insights into our weaknesses. "And Peter remembered the saying of Jesus...." (Matt. 26:75). Our heart is deceitfully wicked and cannot be trusted to direct us correctly (Jer. 17:9). To believers, conviction of sin happens as a result of spending time with the Lord, when the beauty of his person is revealed through the holy scriptures to our minds, when he later brings to our remembrance that which he shared with us. Be careful never to allow idols of the heart to supplant your daily time with the Lord Jesus, for if we do not spend time with him we cannot hear from him, and if we are not hearing from him we may find ourselves is a foreign land with hardened hearts wallowing in the mire (Heb. 3:13). Peter was with Jesus and heard intimate insights into the weakness of his sinful nature. The night of his betrayal Peter was self-deceived, being ignorant and proud, completely unaware of the power of his sinful nature to derail his best intentions to obey unto death his Lord. But in his moment of weakness and betrayal Peter remembered the saying of Jesus. Beloved, maintain a tender heart toward the Lord through daily communion with him, reading and meditating upon his word and remaining in a perpetual state of prayerfulness all day (Ps. 119:11; 1 Thess. 5:17). By doing so the Lord will bring to your remembrance his sayings, keeping you from sin or leading you to repentance if you do sin (Jude 24; 1 Jn. 1:9-10). Come to the fount of blessings, taste of the sweetness of his companionship, for none can compare to his everlasting kindness, mercy, love and grace (Ps. 34:8). By knowing him and being known by him, how could we ever give our hearts to another?

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