His third denial had barely tumbled out of his mouth, when the cock crowed. And the realization, that he had just done what he never believed he could have done, crushed his soul. In despair and full of condemnation Peter fled. He had abandoned the man he believed was the Messiah, the man who had prophetically declared that Peter would be the “rock” upon which the Lord would build His Church.

Surely these denials would disqualify Peter from being that “rock.” But this is where the miracle of forgiveness reveals once again the great mercy and love of the Lord.

Before the resurrected Jesus ascended into heaven, he had an intimate conversation with Peter. He asked Peter one question three times:

“Peter, do you love me?”

With each of affirmative answer, Jesus gave Peter these three charges:

“Feed my lambs!”

“Take care of my sheep!”

“Feed my sheep!”  (John 21)

Jesus had the perfect opportunity to condemn Peter for his denials. Perhaps even to say, “I told you so.” But instead of condemning Peter, he countered those three denials with three charges, reinstating Peter’s divine purpose to be the “rock” upon which the Lord would build His Church. In that moment, Peter experienced the miracle of Lord’s forgiveness – forgiveness without condemnation, forgiveness that restored and resurrected the Lord’s divine purpose for his life.

When we fall short, when we mess up, it is so easy to let our failures condemn us, to believe that our sins and shortcomings disqualify us from fulfilling God’s purpose in our lives. But with sincere repentance, we can experience the same miracle of forgiveness – the miracle of having our sins cleansed by the blood of Jesus and the restoration of His divine purposes in our lives.

Thank you, Lord, for Your forgiveness that brings restoration without condemnation.

NOTE:  I have just posted the next two chapters of “A Hand on My Shoulder.”  In Chapter 8 and 9, M.D. Beall shares a great miracle God performed in her life – a miracle of healing and the lessons God taught her through it.