We tend to think trials come as punishment for something we have done. Sometimes, though, what is happening is pruning. This daily devotional looks at how Satan’s request for Peter could have been to prepare and grow him for his future work in God’s kingdom.
When we hit the rough patches in life, it is easy for disciples to question what they have done to deserve this punishment. Sometimes, we have done something — or not done something — that forces us to endure the consequences of our actions.
Other times, however, we have not done anything wrong. God may even tell us that we didn’t do anything wrong. I know He told me that when I was going through my spiritual tornado.
Things happen at times to help us grow to the next level. Let’s take a look at Peter.
Peter Part 2
"Simon, Simon, behold, Satan demanded to have you, that he might sift you like wheat, but I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned again, strengthen your brothers" (Lk. 22: 31-32 ESV)
If you are asking where Peter Part 1 went, it was in a previous devotion. We talked about how Peter’s faith was so strong that Jesus called him a rock (Mt. 16: 18), but personally, he was impulsive and a wild card. Bottom line was Peter was sincere in His love for Jesus.
To read a related devotion, click the button below.
Peter was probably getting a complex after the Passover meal, though. First was the feet washing incident. Now, Jesus told him Satan was after him.
Notice, Jesus did not call him Peter. Peter meant rock, and Peter’s faith wasn’t going to be rock solid through this testing.
Really, Satan had asked for all of the disciples because a plural “you” was used. That is a scary thought. We are talking the bulk of the early church leaders here.
Of course, Satan asked for them to be his (Lk. 22: 31). He did not want them to accomplish their kingdom work.
We know Satan asked for people. He basically asked for Job (Job 1: 11). That may have ended well, but I don’t think Job particularly liked the road getting there.
Peter was going to have a rough road, also. Matthew 26: 34, Mark 14: 30 and Luke 22: 34 described how Peter would deny Jesus three times that night. Matthew 26: 40, Mark 14: 37 and Luke 22: 45 showed us Peter was sleeping while Jesus was praying in the Garden of Gethsemane. Matthew 26: 50 and John 18: 10 documents how Peter cut off the servant’s ear and got rebuked. Let’s just say Peter had a rough night.
Making the Connections
So, Jesus cut him loose and said, “I don’t need friends like you”? No. He said, “… And when you have turned again …” (Lk. 22: 32 ESV). He didn’t expect Peter to be perfect, especially with Satan gunning for him (and He is speaking to Peter individually here).
Jesus did expect Peter to feel remorse and say he was sorry. Then, He expected Peter to use those experiences to strengthen his faith and the faith of others.
Jesus knew Peter was going to have major testing because he said that Satan was going to “… sift [him] like wheat …” (Lk. 22: 31 ESV).
Dad raised wheat while I was growing up on the farm. As much as I loved eating the wheat, it sure was messy harvesting it.
Man, was it dusty! Wheat seeds are really small in the hulls. Growing up, there just seemed to be an inordinate number of hulls around the wheat seeds. That produced a lot of chaff when the combine ripped them off the seeds. Moral of the story, it wasn’t a whole lot of fun to combine wheat.
That is what Satan wanted to do. He wanted to run Peter and the other disciples through the ringer. He wanted to tear them apart and wreck their witnesses.
What did Jesus do instead of give up on Peter? He prayed for him. No, it wasn’t the first example of intercessory prayer (Gen. 18: 23; Ex. 32: 11-14). In fact, Jesus prayed for all of them.
Jesus knew the disciples needed this pruning to help them grow. John 15: 2 says, ” Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit” (ESV). Sometimes, you have to work at things so they can produce more.
How Do We Apply This?
I get the concept of pruning. When we had the house, I was perfectly fine with deadheading the roses and pruning them every fall.
I had trouble with pruning the two shrubs that were outside the library doors. I think they were peony trees. It would seem that they would just start to get pretty and filled out, and it was time to prune them again. Then they were short, scrawny, and naked.
I understood they would grow back — supposedly better than they were. I understood that just leaving them grow was not the best thing for them. Maybe my biggest complaint was I had no say in the matter. Like I said, it would get to the point where I was really enjoying looking at them. And then they were sticks.
Isn’t that the way it is sometimes with us and trials? We get to the smooth sailing where we just want to take a breather, and then, BAMMMMM. Trials come. When we can’t figure out what we are being punished for, we kick and scream.
But God knows we grow in the trials. Our faith in Him becomes stronger. As we grow, we are better at withstanding Satan’s onslaught.
Luckily, God knows that, even though we would rather come out of the trials without giving in to the temptations, we won’t always. He doesn’t expect us to be perfect. He expects us to love Him.
Isn’t that good news for us? Do you think he expects more from us than He did Peter? No, He doesn’t. He knows that all humans are fallible, even strong believers.
Remember what Jesus told Peter about forgiveness: “… ‘I do not say to you seven times, but seventy-seven times’” (Mt. 18: 22 ESV). Do you think that is the number for us humans to forgive each other and not for God? Wrong. God is going to be even more forgiving — when we ask for forgiveness and turn back to Him.
Satan asked for the disciples because he knew what they were capable of in their service to God’s kingdom. We so many times question how God can use us. We don’t feel like we know His Word well enough. We don’t think our faith is strong enough. When we go through the trials, God works on the areas that need strengthening so we can perform what He has called us to do. So, we don’t see why Satan would want us.
It is really scary when we think Satan is after us. Sometimes, we think that, when we give our lives to God, Satan rides off into the sunset. Wrong. He wouldn’t need to fight for us if we weren’t God’s and doing His Will.
We are more useful to God than we think. He uses our little thinks to further His kingdom, too.
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Jesus intercedes for us, too. “Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died — more than that, who was raised — who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us” (Rom. 8: 34 ESV). We aren’t on our own. He is watching over us and standing in the gap (Ezek. 22: 30). Our Lord and Savior is that involved in our lives?
We think Prayer Warriors are the super heroes of intercessory prayer. However, we are supposed to pray to each other. “for I know that through your prayers and the help of the Spirit of Jesus Christ this will turn out for my deliverance” (Phil. 1: 19 ESV). We need to pray for all of God’s workers (which is all believer!).
But let’s think about all God’s workers for a second. His workers are the Church.
Doesn’t it feel like today that — sometimes — Satan has asked for the church? He doesn’t want to settle for just one of us. He wants all of us.
That is why there is dissention in the church. That is why we are divided.
Yes, we are extremely concerned when Satan asks for us individually. We should be exponentially more concerned when he asks for the church.
Isn’t it comforting to know that God doesn’t give up on us. He knows we are going to experience trials. He knows we are not always going to withstand temptation. He is always there to guide us and strengthen us when we turn to Him.
Loving Father. There are days when it seems Satan has asked You for us. It feels like he is putting us through the ringer. Help us to firmly keep our eyes on You. We don’t want to fall for His lies. We are like Paul: “For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate” (Rom. 7: 15 ESV). But, we know we are human. We know we won’t be perfect until You call us home. Help us to withstand; and when we fail, help us to repent and forgive ourselves. Amen.
What do you think?
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