Betrayal and Restoration

Not long ago, I was in the Garden of Gesthemane, kneeling by an olive tree, weeping at the thought of the betrayal Jesus faced by His closest followers. The ones who walked with Him, ate with Him, laughed with Him, and witnessed a mountain of miracles by Him.

I wondered how in the world they couldn’t even stay awake and pray with Him that night He was arrested. And then I realize that I would have done the same.

My spirit has been in the place where it was wanting to follow Him wherever He went, but my flesh was weak.

I didn’t know when I started following Jesus, how I would betray Him and deny I knew Him just like Peter did.

I would have never imagined the honeymoon of being a follower of Christ would have turned into a tumultuous season of anxiety, and facing a major betrayal of intimacy of my own. And oh how that pain of being betrayed would wreck me and take me into this long season of wandering and confusion.

And just like that, I would throw everything into the fire and live like I did not even know Christ in my actions and my attitudes. I loved Him but, I failed Him miserably.

Jesus knew one of his best friends would deny Him, but He loved Peter fiercely anyway. He prayed for Peter. He sought Him out after His resurrection, and He lovingly restored Peter.

**See John 21:15-17

I sometimes still feel sad that I hurt Him with my own betrayal. But, I am so eternally grateful that He was patient with me. He taught me that it was His faithfulness all along that I needed most.

He restored me like He did Peter, and I pray that this work He has me to do for the rest of my days, the work of preparing couples for marriage and offering hope to couples who are suffering in their own walks of betrayal is worthy of the pain I caused Him.

Beloved, I pray you know the faithfulness of your Savior. We all have failed Him on some level, and yet He remains faithful to the end. He will not abandon His covenant. Stand firm in that truth today and thank Him for it.

Love,

Kristi