Never Say Never

# 698 Today's Du-votional comes from: Mr 14:29 Peter said to Him, "Even if all are made to stumble, yet I will not be." 30 Jesus said to him, "Assuredly, I say to you that today, even this night, before the rooster crows twice, you will deny Me three times." 31 But he spoke more vehemently, "If I have to die with You, I will not deny You!" And they all said likewise.”

Good old brash Peter! Even if everyone else scatters Lord, don't you worry I will never leave You! I will die with You if I have to! Have you learned the lesson of “never” from Peter yet?

I know it took some hard knocks in my own Christian life to learn it. Here's the lesson: “Never say never!” I learned it while the Lord was dealing with my temper.

Oh, the times I would lose my temper in front of my wife and my children. It would always end up as a very embarrassing moment. Thankfully, I never struck anyone or even threatened to strike anyone, no one ever got hurt except maybe me when I would attempt to put my hand through a wall. But just losing one's temper, no matter how it is expressed, leaves scars. That's what sin does. It leaves scars.

May I just say here that if you struggle with anger....get help. Ask your pastor about some good anger management programs that are out there and avail yourself of them.

At the end of these embarrassing moments for myself, (and fear filled moments for my family,) I would literally go somewhere and cool off by getting on my knees and asking the Lord to forgive me, and then I would go to my family and do the same. Then I would solemnly swear to myself, “I'll never let that happen again!” Only to fail again in the near future.

No matter the sin you are struggling with, learn to “never say never” folks. It puts too much emphasis on your flesh and your flesh will fail you every single time. Rather, learn to lean on the Lord, and ask Him for deliverance from “never again” behaviors.