For Thought and Meditation - Thursday, December 01

[Pine Baron]

Good morning all. I must admit to failing this circumstance despite knowing better. I relate to Peter. Have a safe and blessed day.

Trust God’s Plan
by Greg Laurie on Dec 1, 2022

We use God’s mighty weapons, not worldly weapons, to knock down the strongholds of human reasoning and to destroy false arguments.
—2 Corinthians 10:4

Malchus should have been thankful that Peter was a fisherman and not a swordsman. As the disciples spent time with Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane, they saw the crowd coming. Peter drew his sword without hesitation and took a swing. Malchus, the high priest’s servant, lost his ear.

Peter was trying to fight a spiritual battle with physical means.

Jesus said to him, “Put away your sword. . . . Those who use the sword will die by the sword. Don’t you realize that I could ask my Father for thousands of angels to protect us, and he would send them instantly? But if I did, how would the Scriptures be fulfilled that describe what must happen now?” (Matthew 26:52–54 NLT).

In other words, “Peter, that is not the way to fight this battle. This isn’t the time for that.”

The Bible tells us, “We use God’s mighty weapons, not worldly weapons, to knock down the strongholds of human reasoning and to destroy false arguments” (2 Corinthians 10:4 NLT).

It is also worth noting that Jesus healed the high priest’s servant. Malchus didn’t deserve it. Yet Jesus reached down and healed his ear. That was the last miracle Jesus had ever performed.

You know the rest of the story. Our Lord was crucified. He bore the sins of the world. And He rose from the dead.

For every Christian, there will come a Gethsemane, a place where we realize that our obedience overrules our personal desires. The glory of God becomes more important than our glory and desires, and we say, “Not my will, but Yours, be done.” Mark 14:36 and Luke 22:42.

Are you at such a place right now? Surrender to the will of God. You will be glad that you did. His plan for you is better than your plan for yourself.

[USMC87]

Amen, totally surrender to God!

[augercreek]

I have given up trying to be the King of the world, I didn't and couldn't rule very well. Best left to the one who created it ! Why was Peter carrying a sword anyway?

[Pine Baron]

I have given up trying to be the King of the world, I didn't and couldn't rule very well. Best left to the one who created it ! Why was Peter carrying a sword anyway?

Luke 22:35-38
To fulfill prophecy (Isaiah 53:12) as well as to further force the hand of the authorities, if necessary, Jesus and his band of disciples had to appear to be criminals. More specifically, they had to appear like a typical band of sword wielding zealots, thus justifying the arrest and eventual execution of their leader.