7 Now go and give this message to his disciples including Peter:
“‘Jesus is going ahead of you to Galilee. You will see him there, just as he told you before he died!’” Mark 16:7 TLB
Have you ever felt that you could never ‘fit in’ to a certain group of people, or work environment, or social club, or neighborhood, or workout enthusiasts, or scholars, or fashionistas? I’m sure you could add to this list … but you get my point. No matter how hard you tried, you just seem to come up less than those whom you were desperately trying to get in close to.
Or perhaps something in your past has followed you and you feel that it’s as noticeable as the nose on your face. This thing constantly nags at the frontal part of your brain, and causes you to feel that you could never take a step forward without being reminded or judged about your unforgettable past experience. You basically feel that you have sealed your fate, and life has determined your place is in the pit where you now sit.
When I read this Scripture verse, I am reminded that Jesus is the Author of inclusion. Regardless of what the world says of us, labels us, calls us, taunts us, shouts at us ~ Jesus says, “Come join me.” That’s beyond comprehension.
Maybe there is someone reading this today, feeling that they have just messed up beyond repair. I get you. And many of us are wanting to reach out to you to say, “We get you.” The apostle Peter gets you. One moment Peter is in Jesus’ inner circle, traveling with Him, witnessing countless miracles and being part of them. And the next moment, Peter is relenting and repenting in a sea of misery over his blatant denial of Jesus.
But GOD …
In His infinite love for each one of us, including Peter, continuous to extend Himself towards us ~ to draw us near. Regardless of what we’ve done. Can you imagine how that must have made the apostle feel, knowing that Jesus was initiating the reconciliation? Mind blowing!
Jesus continues to do that today. When you think you’ve just removed yourself from ever being forgiven for ______ (you name it), Jesus says, “tell me all about it … ” And that’s when the miraculous begins to happen.
The Lord Jesus has already gone ahead of us in our journey. He knows how the story ends. He is fully aware of what we fear and how we respond to external circumstances. He invites us to walk the journey with Him, trusting Him for the process and the outcome.
As I write this, I am preaching to myself. As you read this, my prayer is that your fears and anxieties will be made calm in the presence of the Lord as you trust Him with your journey. You’ve long been included in the grand scheme of things, and you didn’t have you impress anyone or do any backflips to be accepted.
There is nothing you can do to earn your acceptance, because you already have a place waiting for you in Christ. Only in Jesus is there unconditional inclusion. Just receive it, Friend.
I love you to Heaven and Back, Girlfriend ~
LindaRJohnson, TitusTwo Visionary
Titus Two 