Then he poured water into the basin, and began to wash the disciples' feet and to wipe them with the towel that was wrapped around him. Then he came to Simon Peter. He said to him, 'Lord, do you wash my feet?' Jesus answered him, 'You don't know what I am doing now, but you will understand later.' Peter said to him, 'You will never wash my feet!' John 13:5 WEBIt had been over three years since Jesus had called them His disciples. The twelve of them had traveled together, ministered together, ate together, and saw miracle after miracle while following Jesus. The night that Jesus was betrayed, He poured water, took a towel and washed the feet of His disciples. When it became Peter's turn, Peter said 'You shall never wash my feet!'
Peter tended to correct Jesus when He broke out of the mold that he had envisioned. In Matthew 16:22, Peter rebuked Jesus for saying that He would be crucified. In Mark 14:29 they disagreed and Peter said: 'If I have to die with You, I will not deny You!' then he denied Him. In John 4:27 the disciples marveled when Jesus talked with the Samaritan woman. In Luke 8:25 they marveled saying: 'Who can this be? For He commands even the winds and water and they obey Him!'
See Peter meant well, but sometimes it was his flesh speaking, and not the Holy Spirit. The disciples knew Jesus very well, but they were always surprised by His actions because Jesus did not always act as they thought He should. They kept trying to build a mental box to fit God in, but He always appeared outside of it. Making God behave was a constant problem for the religious pharisees and scribes as well. They seemed to have irreconcilable differences.
Paul wrote this in 1 Thessalonians 5:19-21: 'Don't quench the Spirit. Don't despise prophecies. Test all things, and hold firmly that which is good.' I have attended churches that lived the exact opposite of that verse. We try to put limits on what He can do, and want to place God the Almighty inside of a box and make Him behave like we want. We try and tell Him what to do, as if He was our pet. All that will bring is frustration when He does not obey. We are made in the likeness of God, in His image. Yet sometimes we want Him to be behave like He was made in ours.
Leave room for God to be God in your life and don't try to tell Him how to fix things. No one walked on water until someone did (Matthew 14:29). Donkeys didn't talk to people, until one did (Numbers 22:28). To think that 'My Lord would never do that!' is believing that God was made in your image, instead of you being made in His. To believe that God has to be like you is the ultimate form of pride. God is full of surprises, and the Bible is full of Him surprising people just like us.
Prayer: Heavenly Father please keep me aware of Your Awesomeness. You are the Almighty, incredibly awesome God, the Creator of heaven and earth, and the Maker of mankind. Let me never forget this, in the name of Jesus Christ I pray.Note: For those interested in capturing or viewing photos of God's creation, here is this week's theme message from Creation Photographers: Psalm 104:24 (NIV) "How many are your works, Lord! In wisdom you made them all; the earth is full of your creatures." Our fun theme for the week is "Naturally Nature" and is as always, open for interpretation so lets get creative!! We also encourage you to post anything else that inspires you as well. My photos this week are naturally heart blessings I found in nature. God blesses us daily with reminders that he is always near and dear to those who seek him. May your week be filled with blessings and may your heart be filled with God's Love, Peace and Joy! Here is the link to participate in this group:
Creation Photographers group > You can subscribe to our daily devotional here <
Amen
Amen! Great reminder Pastor Dion, We need to be careful to not place God in a box, that never works out. It seems to be inherent in our nature to do such things, But we must remember whose Image we are made of.
Amen!
Amen!
Amen! Father, suprise us again with who you are!
Heavenly Father, thank You for everything You have done for me. Help me to eliminate all my fears and keep believing that You are there for me. In Jesus name I pray, Amen.
Amen!
Amen everything is possible with God.
Amen!! Anything is possible with God, He can change your life in the blink of a eye.
Amen,our God is awesome.
Amen, our God is Awesome!
Dear God send Florence out to sea. In the name of Jesus. Amen.
Amen! Standing in prayer with you, Mari and everyone else!
Father God we humbly come before you today and ask for your protection from the hurricane Dear Lord Please watch over us Lord and if you can please move this storm back out to sea In Jesus Holy name, Amen
Amen, standing in prayer with you, Sheeri!
Amen
Amen!
Amen Pastor Dion, thank you so much! Praying for you and everyone that's standing in the path of the storm or might be caught in the aftermath! May the Lord protect you and keep you from harm, in the name of Jesus, Amen!
Amen. Praise God! Thanks Pastor Todd! Heavenly Father please keep me aware of Your Awesomeness. You are the Almighty, incredibly awesome God, the Creator of heaven and earth, and the Maker of mankind. Let me never forget this, in the Name of Jesus Christ I pray. Amen.
Thank you for this word, we all need this reminder from time to time!