FAITH CAPSULE: Keeping distance from the Word of God increases your closeness to Satan.

Luke 22:31-62
 
Living in denying God is evidence of faith-failure. Jesus spoke to Peter, “Simon, Simon! Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail.” (Luke 22:31-32) By speaking to Peter about faith-failure, Jesus knew exactly what was ahead. Peter had the warning how his faith was going to fail when Jesus told him, “I tell you, Peter, the rooster shall not crow this day before you will deny three times that you know Me.” (Luke 22:34) Just as spoken by Jesus, Peter’s denial of Jesus was his faith-failure. The Word of God that sounded for Peter came to pass after the arrest of Jesus. It is written, “Having arrested Him, they led Him and brought Him into the high priest’s house. But Peter followed at a distance. Now when they had kindled a fire in the midst of the courtyard and sat down together, Peter sat among them. And a certain servant girl, seeing him as he sat by the fire, looked intently at him and said, ‘This man was also with Him.’ But he denied Him,saying, ‘Woman, I do not know Him.’” (Luke 22:54-57) The failure of Peter is clear to every believer of the Word that cares to study. Peter denied Jesus, the living Word of God, at the time when he began to keep distance from Jesus. Peter had a great desire and determination not to deny Jesus, but he fell short of his desire and determination when the distance between him and the Word of God increased. 
Peter keeping distance was because of challenges surrounding the arrest of Jesus. The arrest of Jesus was not convenient and it was painful. Peter was not ready to undergo such pain. In Peter’s following at distance, the Bible records in Luke 22:55-56 how Peter went and joined those that kindled fire in the midst of the courtyard. Peter wanted warmth and comfort while his master had been arrested in the middle of a cold night. Peter sought and gained a place of comfort in place of commitment. Evidently, seeking comfort in the place of commitment will keep a believer at distance from the living Word of God. While he was in his comfort zone, Peter was repeatedly confronted in regard to his relationship with Jesus. With the consistent requests to know of Peter’s relationship in relation to Jesus, Peter graduated from denying Jesus to rejecting Him by responding, “Man, I do not know what you are saying!” (Luke 22:60) Peter, after his third denial of Jesus as predicted by Jesus, he then remembered the word of Jesus that stated, “Before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.” (Luke 22:61) A believer that keeps distance from the Word of God narrows their distance from the Satan and becomes closer to the deceiver of man. Determination will fail, but prayer will prevail.
 
Prayer for today:Ask for the grace for your faith not to fail.