Friday Scripture: Luke 22
Please Pass the Denial
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A servant girl saw Peter seated there in the firelight. She looked closely at him and said, “This man was with Jesus.”
But he denied it. “Woman, I don’t know him,” he said.
A little later someone else saw him and said, “You also are one of them.”
“Man, I am not!” Peter replied.
About an hour later another asserted, “Certainly this fellow was with him, for he is a Galilean.”
Peter replied, “Man, I don’t know what you’re talking about!” Just as he was speaking, the rooster crowed.
The Lord turned and looked straight at Peter.
Then Peter remembered the word the Lord had spoken to him:
“Before the rooster crows today, you will deny me three times.”
And he went outside and wept bitterly.
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Denial has gotten a pretty bad reputation.
But denial is a natural reflex of the human brain.
When the news is too bad to comprehend...
When the facts are too awful to contemplate...
When reality is too heavy to carry...
Then denial can be the only friend you've got.
It's natural to be in a state of denial--but it's not healthy to stay there.
The reality is that our 2020 world has spiritual problems that dime store saviors cannot solve.
Racism, hatred, and intolerance are spiritual problems.
Violence and blind rage are spiritual problems.
Isolation and loneliness are spiritual problems.
Even sickness is a spiritual problem.
You might treat some symptoms of a disease with a pill or a miracle vaccine.
But chemical solutions cannot make you well.
Wellness comes from the soul.
That is why Jesus told us,
"Peace I leave with you. My Peace I give to you."
That word "Peace" is actually "Shalom."
It means peace of body, mind, soul, finances, relationships...
It means to be completely whole from the inside, out.
Denial is natural.
Peace that passes understanding is supernatural.
The only way to pass from one to the other is to admit that our cloak of denial is too thin to shelter this storm.
Take off the denial and put on the Peace that Passes All Understanding.
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Far away in the depths of my spirit tonight
Rolls a melody sweeter than psalm;
In celestial-like strains it unceasingly falls
O’er my soul like an infinite calm.
Peace, peace! wonderful peace,
Coming down from the Father above,
Sweep over my spirit forever, I pray,
In fathomless billows of love.