Day 5

Grateful for Restoration

There isn’t one person who can look back at their past without being reminded of some mistake they made along the way. Some are small and bear little consequence. Others are significant and leave their mark on our hearts. Mistakes are a part of every story.

In the Gospels, we observe the story of Peter denying Jesus three times following Jesus’ arrest. And this is just hours before he said he would never deny Him [Matthew 26:31-35]. Imagine the angst and feelings of guilt and failure Peter must have felt. We know he left the courtyard and wept bitterly [Matthew 26:69-75].

To rise back up out of such deep places of regret and disappointment can feel insurmountable. And our mistakes can sometimes lead us to believe that God is angry or disappointed to the point of turning away from us. But our God is a God of love, always for us! Through grace and mercy He forgives, teaches, and restores us to Himself.

Three times, Peter denied Jesus. For three days, Peter was separated from Jesus. Once reunited, Jesus asked Peter three times, Do you love Me? Three times, without hesitation, Peter answered, Yes, Lord! And Jesus restored their relationship. He reestablished, for Peter, the call on his life to be a fisher of men. Peter was restored and sent with the command to feed my sheep [John 21:17]. Imagine the joy and gratitude in being made right with Jesus!

Our God is a God of restoration!

If you are a believer in Jesus, you have been restored through His blood. Take a moment to offer praise and thanks to Jesus for how He has restored you to Himself from the moment of your salvation up to this very moment! In light of the restoration you’ve experienced, ask God what He might want you to do, how He might send you. Journal your response and what steps you can take next to follow through.

If you’ve enjoyed this five-day reading plan from FLOURISH, be sure to check out our other plans! 

Flourish in Identity 

Flourish in The Word 

Flourish in Prayer