The walk
After you fail
Don't hide.
The man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of Yahweh God.
Genesis 3:6-13 · Luke 22:31-34, 54-62 · John 21:15-19 · 1 John 1:8-9 · Hebrews 4:15-16 · 1 Peter 5:8-9
The scene
Adam ate the fruit, and then he hid.
He and Eve heard God walking in the garden and hid themselves among the trees. God called to Adam:
"Where are you?"Genesis 3:9
Sin has a way of making us want to do the same thing.
You may want to hide. The voice in your head can sound something like this:
"Don't pray yet. Don't open the Bible. Get yourself together first. Have a few good days. Show God you're actually sorry this time, and then come back."
Resist it. Don't hide.
Peter told Jesus that he was ready to go with him both to prison and to death. Jesus warned him that before the rooster crowed, Peter would deny three times that he knew him.
Peter did exactly that. Then the rooster crowed. Luke says Peter went outside and wept bitterly. But that wasn't the end of Peter.
After the resurrection, Jesus met his disciples beside the Sea of Tiberias. Three times he asked Peter if he loved him. Three times Peter answered. And Jesus gave him work to do:
"Feed my sheep."John 21:17
Peter had said he was ready to follow Jesus to death. Now Jesus told him that one day he really would die following him. John says that death would glorify God.
Then Jesus said to him:
"Follow me."
Peter failed badly. Jesus didn't pretend that it hadn't happened, and Peter didn't need to pretend either.
John writes:
"If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive us the sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."1 John 1:9
Confession means you stop hiding what God already knows.
And Hebrews tells us that Jesus understands weakness. He was tempted as we are, yet without sin. So instead of running away from him when you fail:
"Let's therefore draw near with boldness to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and may find grace for help in time of need."Hebrews 4:16
When you sin, don't make peace with it.
But don't hide from the one who can forgive you either.
The point
Don't hide.
Sit with this
Follow me.John 21:19