Luke 22: 31-32
31 And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat:
32 But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren.
Christ Handing the Keys to St. Peter by Pietro Perugino (1481-82) Fresco, 335 x 550 cm Cappella Sistina, Vatican. Ελληνικά: Λεπτομέρεια από την νωπογραφία του Πιέτρο Περουτζίνο, Ο Χριστός Παραδίδει τα Κλειδιά στον Πέτρο, 335 x 600 cm, Καπέλα Σιξτίνα, Πόλη του Βατικανού. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Sifted! Like Wheat, Part II
When the Lord activates his plan for your life, there’s often a great noise going on all around you. The noise can be emotional, psychological, spiritual, or physical. Expect combinations of these stressors, but be aware that sometimes all of them occur at the same time. Noise can span through time, bringing past, present and future together. Noise is dangerous because it is distracting. Anything that distracts you in a time of spiritual or other peril can cause confusion.
Confusion gets in the way of being able to act effectively. This is certainly what happened at the Last Supper. Jesus told His disciples that He was going to be betrayed by one of them. He even gave a gesture that identified the betrayer as Judas. But, they were so distracted by the noise of fear (that one of them would betray the Lord) and pride (they argued about which of them would be the greatest), that they couldn’t see and hear what the Lord was saying.
What this boils down to is that noise can get in the way of your ability to hear the voice of the Lord. Even in the midst of noise, men and women of God are expected to steer a straight course. We do so by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the Author and Finisher of our faith.
Jesus prayed that Peter’s faith “fail not” in the process of being sifted. Jesus’ prayer was the antidote and safety net for the embattled Apostle. The verse tells us that Jesus prayed for Peter, but the word pray does not give us the full picture of the original meaning. The original meaning of the word translated as “prayed” means “to beg.” When the Master of the Universe begged for Peter’s faith to not fail, it was a mighty effort that shook a terrible stronghold loose, and made a formidable wall to crumble.
The original Greek word translated as “fail” gives us a glimpse into how thorough the destruction planned by the devil is. The word translates as “fail” comes from the Greek word meaning “to omit, i.e. (by implication) cease (die) :- fail.” (Strong’s Talking Greek & Hebrew Dictionary) In other words, the devil wanted Peter’s faith to cease. He wanted Peter’s faith to die – to be permanently put out of existence.
The devil is a thief and a murderer, who comes to “steal, kill and destroy.” (John 10:10) Jesus said that the devil is a liar and the father of all lies (John 8:44), and a “murderer from the beginning” (John 8:44). Our bodies are not the only thing he wants to slay: He also wants to literally kill our faith. It is Jesus’ prayer that reveals this archly evil plan that the devil has for all people. Satan, the liar and the murderer, wants our faith to die.
The seriousness of this threat is one reason it is important that we read our Bibles and go to church: Because “faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God.” (Romans 10:17) Church is a major place where we hear the word of God. It is a place where faith is built. No matter how many backstabbers and hypocrites are in your church, they cannot make the word of God fail to accomplish what it set out to do (Isaiah 55:11). One of the things that the word of God accomplishes is to make us more and more Christlike.
When Jesus told Peter that Satan had demanded him for trial, he responded “Lord, I am ready to go with thee, both into prison, and to death.” (Luke 22: 33) Clearly Peter didn’t know the weakness of his own mind and heart. The question now is: How well do you know your own mind and heart? Are your perceptions correct? The sifting will tell. Are you ready? When it comes to being sifted, it is not a matter of “if” but “when.”
The devil intends for sifting process to destroy us. But God is able to sustain us and keep us from falling.
Jude 1:24 Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy,
My next post will discuss Jesus’ instructions to Peter for what to do after the sifting process.
Until we meet again: “Be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.” (Ephesians 6:10)
Your friend in Christ,
Verneda
Twitter handle: @vlights
© 2012 Verneda Lights. All Rights Reserved.
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