It is funny how we always think we know best. In verse 22 Peter tries to convince Jesus that He will not be killed by the Jewish leaders and says, “Never, Lord!” he said. “This shall never happen to you!” The problem is that Jesus was following God’s perfect plan and in His plan the sacrifice was necessary to fulfill the bigger picture. Jesus’ replay in verse 23 was, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men.” He knew that Peter’s response came from the desires of Satan not wanting God’s plan to be fulfilled. I don’t think Satan knew what the plan was, but the truth is he doesn’t need to know what it is; he is a disrupter and that is all he wants to do. For this reason it is imperative that we listen and follow God’s leading in our lives. He has the big picture and we need to trust and know He has it under control.
2012 Day 42 – Matthew 16
11 Saturday Feb 2012
Posted in Daily Reading
Daily Devotion 
Verse 26, “What will it benefit a man if he gains the world yet loses his life?” hits me right between the eyes everytime. It’s so easy for me to get caught up in the here and now and the pursuits of this world that sometimes I sacrifice the things that are most important, for things that are fleeting. We truly must die to ourselves daily in order to live. This is such a difficult concept for me to learn because the more I grow in my walk with God, the more Satan tempts me with things that have no eternal value at all. I actually carry a cross on my keychain that reads, “die to live” to constantly remind me to die to myself so that I can live in Christ.