MORNING SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 6/18/2026
10:25 AM
My
Worship Time Focus: PT-3“The Right Life Experiences”
I continue to quote from John
MacArthur’s commentary: “But having
shattered Peter’s self-confidence, the Lord did not leave him in that
state. He brought a final experience
into Peter’s life, one that would prepare him for the important role he would
play in the spread of the gospel. After
Christ’s death Peter and the rest of the apostles went to Galilee in obedience
to His command (Matthew 28:10). But
Peter announced to those who were with him, ‘I am going fishing’ (John 21:3).
Peter was not suggesting a little recreational fishing to pass the time until
Jesus arrived, but intended to return to his former occupation (cf. John 12:21,
The MacArthur New Testament Commentary [Chicago: Moody 2008], 390). In light of his shameful denials of Christ, Peter
no doubt felt inadequate to serve Him.
The rest of the apostles agreed with Peter, and told him, ‘We will also
come with you.’ Even when his course of
action was wrong, they still followed Peter’s lead. But the Lord had other plans for these men, and
though ‘they went out and got into the boat…that night they caught nothing.’
“The following morning Jesus
appeared, and revealed Himself to them by directing them to a large haul of
fish (vv. 4-7). After breakfast (v. 9),
Jesus addressed Peter, He knew that before he could play a leading role in
building the church and preaching the gospel, Peter needed to be restored and
recommissioned. He needed to be
reassured that though he had forsaken Christ, Christ had not forsaken him. Therefore Jesus challenged Peter three times—once
for each of his denials—to reaffirm his love for Him (vv. 15-17). Then He said something that must have
thrilled Peter. ‘Truly, truly, I say to
you,’ Jesus told him, ‘when you were younger, you used to gird yourself and
walk wherever you wished; but when you grew old, you will stretch out your
hands and someone else will gird you, and bring you where you do not wish to go’
(v. 18). As the apostle John’s footnote
indicates, by saying that Jesus was ‘signifying by what kind of death [Peter}
would glorify God’ (v. 19).
“Normally, such a prediction would
bring alarm, not comfort. But the Lord’s
words reassured Peter that he would remain faithful to Him until death. There would be no more vacillating; Peter
would not again forsake Jesus, but would faithfully carry out the ministry to
which he had been called. Nearing the
end of his life Peter wrote,
Therefore,
I will always be ready to remind you of these things, even though you already
know them, and have been established in the truth which is present with
you. I consider it right, as long as I
am in this earthly dwelling, to stir you up by way of reminder, knowing that
the laying aside of my earthly dwelling is imminent, as also our Lord Jesus
Christ has made clear to me. And I will
also be diligent that at any time after my departure you will be able to call
these things to mind. (2 Peter 1:12-15)
“He had
become the man the Lord needed him to be.”
Spiritual
Meaning for my life today: Just as Peter trusted the Lord with
his life in order to do what He had called Peter to do, it is my desire to
trust the Lord in my life to do the things that He has planned for me to do for
the cause of Christ.
My Steps
of faith for today: I am trusting that the Lord will give comfort to my wife as her cancer
seems to be getting worse. 6/18/2026
10:58 AM
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