In our daily Bible meditations at groupbiblestudy.com, we focus on how God allows times of testing to refine our character. Peter was thrust into a test the night before Jesus was crucified. There in the upper room, as they sat around the Passover table, Jesus said to Peter:
31"Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift you as wheat. 32But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers" (Luke 22:31-32; emphasis added).
What was Satan asking God for, and why did he have to ask? Satan wanted to shake Simon Peter's faith, but since Peter was a believer, he had to seek the Lord’s permission to sift and shake the apostle's life. God allowed a test to come to Simon Peter because he would become a stronger disciple after being broken of his self-reliance and pride. What kind of test was allowed? There in the courtyard of the High Priest, Peter was asked three times if he had been with Christ. Each time, Peter responded that he didn't know Jesus. His heart was filled with remorse and repentance upon recalling Jesus' words that before the cock crowed, he would deny three times that he even knew Christ. God allowed Peter to be humbled and broken before He could use him to preach the gospel powerfully on the Day of Pentecost. After the trial of Peter's faith, he arrived at a place of spiritual abundance:
10For you, O God, tested us; you refined us like silver. 11You brought us into prison and laid burdens on our backs. 12You let men ride over our heads; we went through fire and water, but you brought us to a place of abundance (Psalm 66:10-12).
Let's say that you are someone who loves Christ, but when the going gets tough and the fire gets hot amid the refinery, you revert to a lifestyle that denies Christ by the way you live. Some people stop being overcomers, give in to the test, and succumb to fleshly desires. What kind of test will God allow us to face? Like Peter, the Lord may allow us to confront direct challenges to our faith. Our daily choices prepare us for whatever God will accomplish through us in the future. If it ever became illegal to follow Jesus, and you were asked if you knew Him, would you deny Christ? If you think this is a ridiculous or far-fetched notion, consider this: such persecution for faith is occurring in many countries today. Whenever a government or regime rises to power that opposes the message of Christ, they will depict Christians as a subversive group acting against the common good of the people. Taking a stand for your faith could result in intense persecution, loss of material possessions, or even loss of life. The early Christians faced such trials, and many believers around the world are undergoing similar persecutions. Isn't that the kind of test that the Apostle Peter encountered?
Whatever trial the Lord allows us to go through, He prays for us as He did for Peter, that our faith will not fail. The Word of God says, "He can save completely those who come to God through him because he always lives to intercede for them” (Hebrews 7:25). We can be strengthened by this because we know that God hears His Son's intercessory prayers for us. Keith Thomas
Taken from the series of 66 studies in the Gospel of Luke, Peter, the Broken Disciple.
The video teaching about Peter’s Denial is on YouTube and can be found at the following link: https://youtu.be/J0HeOB6D6_w