December 16 Daily Devotional

Bible Reading

Mark 14:66–72

Devotional

Some have thought that as long as Peter lived, his tears began to flow whenever he remembered his denying his Lord. It’s not unlikely because his sin was so great and God’s grace had such a perfect work in him afterwards. This same experience is common to all the redeemed family according to the degree in which the Spirit of God has removed the natural heart of stone.

Like Peter we remember our boastful promise: “Even if all fall away, I will not” (Mk. 14:29). We eat our own words with the bitter herbs of repentance. When we think of what we vowed we would be, and of what we have been instead, we may weep whole showers of grief.

He thought on his denying his Lord—the place in which he did it, the little cause that led him into such terrible sin, the oaths and blasphemies with which he sought to confirm his lie, the dreadful hardness of heart that drove him to do so again and yet again. Can we—when we are reminded of our sins and their exceeding sinfulness—remain indifferent and stubborn? Will we not make our house a Bochim (see Judges 2:1–5) and cry to the Lord for renewed assurances of pardoning love? May we never take a dry-eyed look at sin, lest before long we have a tongue parched in the flames of hell.

Peter also thought on his Master’s look of love. The Lord followed up the rooster’s warning voice with a convicting look of sorrow, pity, and love. That glance was never out of Peter’s mind as long as he lived. It was far more effectual than ten thousand sermons would have been without the Holy Spirit.

The penitent apostle would be sure to weep when he recalled the Saviour’s full forgiveness that restored him to his former place. To think that we have offended so good a Lord, so kind a Lord, is more than enough to make us constant weepers.

O Lord, please strike our rocky hearts and make the waters flow.

[July 30]

Extracted from C. H. Spurgeon, Morning and Evening (public domain), language modernized by Larry E. Wilson.