God Will Yet Use You

I want to encourage you today that no matter what you have done, God can and will use you.  Peter was one of Jesus's disciples whom Jesus called from an occupation of catching fish to become a fisher of men.  Peter was prone to misstep and misspeak a lot, yet Jesus saw something in Peter that He could use.

One minute Peter would say that Jesus was the Christ, the Son of God, and the next minute he would rebuke Jesus from planning to go to the cross.  Peter had his foot in his mouth more than it was out!  Peter even went from swearing that he would never deny the Lord to adamantly saying he never even knew Jesus... three times.  When Peter saw that he had indeed failed the Lord when He needed him most, he wept bitterly.  And he returned to his career as a fisherman.

Upon Jesus's resurrection, the Lord found Peter and asked him three times, "Peter, do you love me?"  When Peter replied yes, Jesus told him, "Feed my sheep" (or my people).  Jesus was once again calling Peter from his business back into ministry.

My friend, no matter who you are or where you are, God has a call on your life.  You are called to come and follow Jesus wherever He may lead, and He has a great plan for you (Jeremiah 29:11).

When Peter was called by Jesus back into relationship and into the ministry, Jesus told Peter that he would eventually die for Him (John 21:8-19).  And when the time did come for Peter to be martyred, he asked to be crucified upside-down, saying that he was not worthy to die in the same way as Jesus.  He went from a loud, boisterous, pushy man to a humble, submissive servant of the Lord.

Peter may have failed the test when he denied Jesus three times, but in Acts, he stood before the very people in Jerusalem to whom he had spoken those denials and those who had crucified Christ, and he boldly preached the gospel.  This time he was a changed man, born-again and filled with the Holy Ghost.  This time, the last thing he was going to do was deny his Lord and Savior.

Peter had messed up so many times; he even cut off the ear of the servant of the high priest, and yet Jesus forgave him and used him mightily.  Peter was faithful until the end. 

Consider this- if God can use someone as flawed as Peter, He can surely use me and you.  Even if man says you are washed up and are of no use, Jesus will pick you up, clean you up, build you up and use you again and again.  He will use you to bless, save and love others. 

II Timothy 2:21 (AMPC) says:

So whoever cleanses himself [from what is ignoble and unclean, who separates himself from contact with contaminating and corrupting influences] will [then himself] be a vessel set apart and useful for honorable and noble purposes, consecrated and profitable to the Master, fit and ready for any good work.

Take heart, God will yet use you.  You can be sure of it.