Return, repent, follow

My quiet times this past week have taken me through John 21v15-18 - Jesus asking Peter 3 times if he loved him. Today I was meditating on v.19b,

'Jesus said this to indicate the kind of death by which Peter would glorify God. Then Peter would glorify God. Then he said to him, "Follow me!" '
--John 21v19 (NIV)--

Consider how you think you let down God in your daily life, but now think of Peter. To recap, Peter has denied Jesus three times & Jesus has just illustrated how Peter's death is going to glorify God. We often think God'll cut ties with us when we let him down. I state clearly now, that that is NOT the God we serve. Check out the text in bold, 'Then he said to him, "Follow me!"

Jesus could have removed Peter's discipleship, but instead he says "Follow me!" Our God is one of infinite forgiveness. By dying on the cross he showed this -- every sin was nailed there: past, present and future. And with that, anything we're going to do, and have done, is forgiven.

"Follow me!" 2 simple words, with profound impact on our lives. God never promises it'll be easy, but his plan stands for us always. Whether we're faithfully following him or wandering, he'll ALWAYS receive us back to him. Confess your sin, come back to Jesus, and it's you in Peter's shoes:

"Then he [Jesus] said to him, "Follow me!"