Go: A 40-Day Journey To The Never ReachedSample

Already There

I always return to Peter. I see myself. Not the rock, the stumbling stone. I hope to be like Jesus, but today I’m Peter.

Passionate, spontaneous Peter, he joined Jesus on the water, then sank. He chopped off an ear defending Jesus, and then denied he knew him. Peter messed up…a lot. He made grand gestures, took bold steps, spoke big words, but he choked, he sank, he failed. When things got hot, his tongue betrayed his heart. When pressured, he ran.

But have you noticed this detail? The angel told the women:

“Go tell his disciples and Peter, ‘He is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him; just as he told you” (Mark 16:6,7 NIV).

Why did the angel mention Peter separately? At the moment of truth, Peter had failed Jesus. Jesus sent a Peter-specific message. That’s just like Jesus. He reassured Peter with a message: “I want you in this. I’m going before you. I’ll be there when you get there.”

I too talk big—which means I make epic missteps. A missionary faces a world of questions. But the hardest questions are those I ask myself. Am I enough? Will I mess up? I know my shortcomings well. Jesus does too, and he still lets me follow him around, learn his ways, and reach the world for him. 

Jesus knew Peter was passionate: on one hand, that passion drew blood; on the other, it drew crowds to hear his testimony. If you look in the mirror and find tragic flaws, you’re in good company. The same Peter who denied Jesus became a strong leader in the church. Jesus knows you, completely. He called you anyway. Why? Like Peter, you may be a stumbling block with potential to be a foundational rock. 

We often go thinking we carry Jesus with us. The truth, he’s already there.

Go Before!

Let go of your past failures—the missed opportunities, times you said no, half-hearted attempts, and outright rebellion—and heed Jesus’ message to meet him again. Ask him to forgive you, change you, and even use your failures for his glory. Then trust that he is going before you in whatever endeavor to which he calls you.

Pray

Never reached People Group: The Java Pesisir Lor of Indonesia

Ask God to reveal himself to the Java Pesisir Lor people through dreams and visions.