Читать книгу Beyond the Horizon - Harry A. Renfree - Страница 13

January 07

I’m sure you have learned to make right decisions. If you are like me, the right decisions you have made have often resulted from lessons learned from wrong decisions you had made previously. Our failures are sometimes better teachers than our successes.

Coming to the end of His ministry on this earth, with the cross looming, the Master faced a crucial decision. The task of spreading the gospel of salvation was to be left to a diverse group of His followers after His resurrection and ascension. The leader of the group, at least the spokesman, was the fisherman Simon Peter. Could he be depended upon? Peter often wavered, uncertain of himself. Jesus knew this and warned Peter that he might fail in the face of personal danger. Peter protested vehemently that he would never fail Jesus. He did . . . three times he denied his Lord before Calvary—denied that he even knew Jesus.

After the resurrection, Jesus faced Peter on the shore of the Sea of Galilee after a group of disciples had spent a fruitless night fishing. Testing him, Jesus asked if Peter really loved him. When Peter replied affirmatively, Jesus pointed out that it would cost Peter to follow through on that promise. Then Jesus said to him: “Follow me.” Peter hesitated; success or failure was in the balance. But Peter, aware of his failures and sorry for them, bravely faced up to them. He, of course, became Peter the solid rock, who was largely responsible for founding the first churches. So effective was his witness to his faith that after his sermon the day of Pentecost, 3,000 were won to the way of Christ.

Wrong decisions, you see, may well point the way to right decisions. Let us use some of the failures of the past to form the successes of the future.