Three Times

Now Peter was sitting outside in the courtyard. A slave girl came to him and said, “You also were with Jesus the Galilean.” But he denied it in front of them all: “I don’t know what you’re talking about!” When he went out to the gateway, another slave girl saw him and said to the people there, “This man was with Jesus the Nazarene.” He denied it again with an oath, “I do not know the man!” After a little while, those standing there came up to Peter and said, “You really are one of them too – even your accent gives you away!” At that he began to curse, and he swore with an oath, “I do not know the man!” At that moment a rooster crowed. Then Peter remembered what Jesus had said: “Before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.” And he went outside and wept bitterly.  Matthew‬ ‭26:69-75‬‬ NET

To rise back up out of such deep places of regret and disappointment can feel insurmountable.

And our mistakes can sometimes lead us to believe that we are trapped in a cage and God is angry or disappointed to the point of turning away from us.

But our God is a God of love, always for us!

Through grace and mercy He forgives, teaches, and restores us to Himself.  He sets us free! 

Three times, Peter denied Jesus. For three days, Peter was separated from Jesus. Once reunited, Jesus asked Peter three times, Do you love Me? Three times, without hesitation, Peter answered, Yes, Lord! And Jesus restored their relationship. He reestablished, for Peter, the call on his life to be a fisher of men.

Peter was restored and sent with the command to feed God’s sheep. He was blessed to be a blessing, restored to restore.