Weekend, April 6, 2024
God Knows How Much
Who then will condemn us? No one—for Christ Jesus died for us and was raised to life for us, and he is sitting in the place of honor at God’s right hand, pleading for us. (Romans 8:34 NLT)
Imagine, for a moment, that you’re Simon Peter. You’re spending time with Jesus and enjoying every moment. But then He suddenly turns to you and says, “Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift each of you like wheat. But I have pleaded in prayer for you, Simon, that your faith should not fail. So when you have repented and turned to me again, strengthen your brothers” (Luke 22:31-32 NLT).
Jesus knew the cross lay ahead of Him. He was getting ready to break that news to the disciples, and they didn’t have a clue. They didn’t know what was happening. Thus, Jesus needed to brace them for the future. He needed to tell them that Judas Iscariot would betray Him. And He needed to warn them about their own spiritual vulnerability.
Here’s a more literal translation of what Jesus said to Peter: “Satan has been asking excessively that you be taken out of the care and protection of God.”
There are times in our lives when we might say things like “The devil really tempted me!” But the fact is that it’s highly unlikely the devil himself has ever tempted us. Rather, it probably was one of his demons who was doing the tempting.
In Simon Peter’s case, however, Satan himself had set his sights on him. This serves as a reminder that when temptation comes into the life of a child of God, the devil must first ask permission. He can do nothing in our lives that God has not allowed, and God never will give us more than we can handle.
The Bible says, “The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure” (1 Corinthians 10:13 NLT).
God won’t give you too much. He knows your breaking point. He knows how much you can handle. And you might be able to handle a lot more than you think you can. Sometimes, it may seem as though you’re overwhelmed with temptation. But God isn’t going to give you more than you can take.
Satan first had to go through Jesus to get to Simon Peter. And Jesus assured His disciple, “But I have pleaded in prayer for you, Simon.” Maybe the devil was looking for the weak link in the chain, thinking that if he could bring down one disciple, he could take the others with him.
Not only did Jesus pray for Peter, but He’s praying for us as well. Romans 8:34 assures us, “Who then will condemn us? No one—for Christ Jesus died for us and was raised to life for us, and he is sitting in the place of honor at God’s right hand, pleading for us” (NLT).
He is pulling for you right now. Just as Jesus stood up for Simon, He is standing up for you.
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