I was talking to someone very dear to me yesterday. She reminded me that all her life she has felt like she had to look out for herself without anyone to assist her. I reminded her she had God too. Sometimes before we know he is there; we feel like it’s us doing it all by ourselves. I know she isn’t the only one that has felt this way. I want to encourage you that even Jesus our Lord and Savior needed someone. He needed twelve disciples that were not perfect but were perfect for their assignments.

An apostle is a sent one by God to establish something new. Apostles are pioneers and often builders of a pattern that has not been before. They deal with root issues and uproot systemic issues that come to threaten that pattern they are called to build and establish. Well, Jesus had twelve original apostles and the word says one was a devil. Jesus absolutely could not fulfill his destiny without Peter or Judas.

Who has God showed you is irreplaceable and invaluable to your destiny?

Jesus knew all along that Peter and Judas would betray him at his greatest time of need. Heaven was betting on them and so was Jesus. He absolutely needed Peter and Judas to accomplish his kingdom purposes. We need our Peter and our Judas. No one, absolutely No one could discern from Jesus that he would be betrayed based on his interactions with them. He poured into them and allowed them to grow together. The wheat was growing with the tare until it was harvest time. It wasn’t time yet for Jesus to die.

Some people have asked me as I share my testimony, why didn’t I leave because of the way my late ex-husband was treating me. God had me interceding when I wanted to walk away. I was so broken and at my lowest pregnant with my last son. I remember praying on my washroom floor at 20 years old. I was crying so hard in a fetus position crying my soul out. This prayer came out of nowhere. I asked the father to give me a husband that would love me like Jacob loved Racheal and it was the next part that blew my own mind. I told him I had some issues. These were issues at that time I wasn’t even aware of that had occurred through previous moments of trauma of being dropped emotionally and in other ways.

But God knew.

As I wept, I asked him to allow my future husband to wait on me until I could get myself together. I knew I had ALL of heaven’s attention. Heaven bowed that day to listen to me weep. I didn’t understand the magnitude of that prayer until almost 10 years later when I was pregnant. My late ex-husband let me know the only reason he didn’t leave was because I was pregnant. He shared after leaving that his late stepfather told him to wait at least until I had the baby. In one of my intense days of praying after he left, the Lord reminded me of that day I asked him to wait until I could get myself together. He didn’t love me like Jacob loved Racheal though. God saved my life. My late ex-husband was my Judas. He brought me to my cross into my purpose. God was teaching me how to love like him, to forgive all while preparing me to be the wife I needed to be although I was rejected by him.

The word says out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. Jesus was getting ready to be crucified and he was about to reveal somethings. Matthew 26:31–35. “I tell you the truth,” Jesus answered, “this very night, before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times.” But Peter declared, “Even if I have to die with you, I will never disown you.” And all the other disciples said the same.

Peter did something he didn’t realize he could do but God knew he was about to do. The word says in Jeremiah 9:17 The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? The Lord knows it.

The stage was being set for the perfect offense and pressure to cause Peters speech to betray him. It was undeniable that he had been with the Lord. His heart posture and the letter of God’s word was written in his heart. What is your heart posture concerning what God has revealed to you that you cannot deny? How will you respond when you are confronted with the truth? Will you respond like Peter did?

Matthew 29:69 Now Peter sat outside in the courtyard. And a servant girl came to him, saying, “You also were with Jesus of Galilee.”

70 But he denied it before them all, saying, “I do not know what you are saying.”

71 And when he had gone out to the gateway, another girl saw him and said to those who were there, “This fellow also was with Jesus of Nazareth.”

72 But again he denied with an oath, “I do not know the Man!”

73 And a little later those who stood by came up and said to Peter, “Surely you also are one of them, for your speech betrays you.”

74 Then he began to curse and swear, saying, “I do not know the Man!”

Maybe you are a man preparing for marriage and you are carrying a lot of weight. You are preparing for your future spouse and at times you are overwhelmed. You may be trying for her to see all you are doing like Jesus was telling his disciples. It was better for him to go so he could send the comforter and prepare a place for us. At times our mate can’t understand the pressure of you being you. Peter couldn’t understand Jesus’s path. But if you communicate and get an understanding it can avoid offense because your speech will betray you. How we respond when we are offended matters. Jesus uses it as an opportunity to reveal Peters heart to himself.

What has God recently showed you about your heart because of an offense?

John Bevere says, Offense is the bait of Satan. Peter was offended that they were associating him with Jesus. Who have you denied 3 times because of offense? There is hope for that relationship. Jesus told him before he did it, that he had prayed for him that the enemy would not be able to cause his faith to fail him.

There is restoration after betrayal when your speech betrays you.

Maybe you are a woman and you have been healed from past trauma and something in your relationship deeply triggered an old trauma? You were offended which triggered an offense in them. You shared your heart, and your relationship was affected causing you to be denied. Peter was able to be quickly restored because Jesus covered him in prayer before he told him it would happen. Can you see past Peter’s offense and cover your spouse? As a spouse can you hear the pain of their past and be compassionate without rejecting them but instead consider the cause of the trigger? Maybe you didn’t respond correctly to the offense like she didn’t because of pain. But Peter, can you consider the impact your actions had on her heart? There is nothing Jesus can’t heal. It didn’t change his purpose or his destiny. The word says with all your getting to get an understanding.

Peter was given an assignment from his betrayal. Jesus told him after he was restored to turn around and restore his brethren. Our commission is the same. We are to grow from every offense and take wisdom and impart it to others. Peter you are going to get everything God promised you.