Gospel Reflections #458: In God's love, we are healed, encouraged, and given the strength to follow Him.

Luke 22:61,62 “The Lord turned and looked at Peter. Peter remembered the words of the Lord who had said, "Today, before the cock crows, you will say three times that you do not know me. Then he went outside and wept violently.

Peter was firmly determined not to do anything that would betray Jesus.

But Peter was not aware of his own weakness.

God shows us our weaknesses in various ways and tries to make us aware of them.

Peter may have thought that Jesus would blame him for the mistake he made.

But Jesus did not condemn Peter, but looked at him.

If Jesus were to address Peter here, what words would you imagine?

I imagine Jesus saying to Peter, "It's okay with you. I know your weakness. I know your weakness, so you don't have to be pessimistic about it. I am okay. I love you just the way you are."I believe that our God is always there, no matter how far He has gone.

Our God is kind, compassionate, and loving to the end.

In that love, we are healed, encouraged, and given the strength to follow Him.

That is why Peter's heart was filled with the light of desire to follow Jesus without abandoning Him anymore.

Our God will never forsake us, even if we forsake Him. That is God's love!

AUTHOR'S BIO: This Gospel Reflections page is written by Masae San, who resides in Hiroshima, Japan. Masae is a dedicated student of the Bible with a deep passion for the Gospel of Jesus Christ. She shares her daily reflections on Gospel perspectives to reach out to others and spread the message of God's true love through a Christ-centered approach. We are sharing her insights here so that you, too, can experience the joy that comes from knowing and understanding the true Gospel and the love of God through Jesus Christ.