I was seeking God's face earlier this morning while meditating on Matthew 16:21-23. That's the passage where the Apostle Peter misunderstood God's love and while he thought he had Jesus' best interest in mind, he was actually thinking and acting contrary to God's love plan. Jesus called him out on his misunderstanding and rebuked him harshly... ”Get behind me Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men.” (Matthew 16:22). We often like to ridicule, or even feel superior, to Peter because of his leaping to his own conclusions, but in reality, aren't we VERY OFTEN like him? Rather than living and serving in humility and trusting in God's plan and God's love, we insist on our own understanding and stand in need of the same rebuke Peter got. Today's My Utmost for His Highest (the beloved devotional by Oswald Chambers) brings this nearsightedness to our attention:

“God has to destroy our determined confidence in our own convictions. We say, “I know that this is what I should do” — and suddenly the voice of God speaks in a way that overwhelms us by revealing the depths of our ignorance. We show our ignorance of Him in the very way we decide to serve Him. We serve Jesus in a spirit that is not His, and hurt Him by our defense of Him. We push His claims in the spirit of the devil; our words sound all right, but the spirit is that of an enemy. “He…rebuked them, and said, ‘You do not know what manner of spirit you are of' ” (Luke 9:55). The spirit of our Lord in His followers is described in 1 Corinthians 13.

Have I been persecuting Jesus by an eager determination to serve Him in my own way? If I feel I have done my duty, yet have hurt Him in the process, I can be sure that this was not my duty. My way will not be to foster a meek and quiet spirit, only the spirit of self-satisfaction. We presume that whatever is unpleasant is our duty! Is that anything like the spirit of our Lord— “I delight to do Your will, O my God…” (Psalm 40:8).”

I don't know about you, but Peter's rebuke by the Lord Jesus sends a dagger to my heart. I'm often just like Peter telling Jesus what I THINK He should or should not do? Am I humbly willing to submit to His plan and purpose for my life no matter how inconceivable that plan seems to me? Am I deserving of the same rebuke Peter got? Bottom line is this...is my desire to glorify the Lord God of my own design or am I humble to, with joy, place myself in His holy design? That's a question all maturing believers must come to recon with. My prayer for you and me this day is this: Lord, forgive us of insisting on our ways of serving You...of our preconceived purposes and expectations. May we humbly accept Your plan and purpose for us to be perfect, a blessing to others, and glorifying to You. We ask in Jesus' name...amen.

Walk with the King today and be a blessing.