Good Intentions vs. Weak Flesh

February 14

Exodus 31-32

Psalm 22:6-10

Proverbs 5:7-8

Matthew 26:26-51

Good Intentions vs. Weak Flesh

“Peter replied, ‘Even if all fall away on account of you, I never will.’ ‘Truly I tell you,’ Jesus answered, ‘This very night—before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times. Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. ‘Couldn’t you men keep watch with me for one hour?’ he asked Peter. ‘Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak.’” Matthew 26:33,40-41 NIV

I believe that Peter had good intentions. He never meant to deny Jesus. He had every intention of following Jesus to His death. And he did not intend to fall asleep. He meant to stay awake and pray. I’m sure that when Jesus came and found him sleeping, he promised to do better and to stay awake, but his body was weak, and he quickly fell asleep again. How like Peter we are. We have good intentions. We fully expect that we will not yield to that temptation, we will stay alert and pray. But, like Peter, too often we fall that very night. If we examine Peter’s life a little further, we find that just a few weeks later he stood boldly before the Sanhedrin and proclaimed that Jesus was the Messiah. He spent the rest of his life proclaiming Jesus as Lord and he died a martyr’s death. What was the difference? Peter received the power and indwelling of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. From that time forth, he no longer had to rely on his weak flesh, but he could rely on the work of the Holy Spirit in him to accomplish God’s purposes. We have that same power in us. When we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior, we receive the Holy Spirit and have full access to His power and guidance. We do not have to rely on our weak flesh. He does not expect us to carry out His plans and purposes on our strength and power. He has given us everything we need.