Several new paintings are waiting for final touches. As this rooster sat on the wall staring at me, so many thoughts of Simon/Peter’s story came to mind. After finishing touches as I was doing more of the engraving, the words “chicken scratch” came very strong.
The original painting was a realistic rooster that never felt finished. I was going to totally cover it up then thought to leave some realism in with the abstract.
As I thought of Simon/Peter, the first engravings in one layer of paint were, “denial – one – two – three”.
Jesus wasn’t surprised by that denial. He even told Simon/Peter it would happen.
I looked up the name Simon – in Greek it means flat or snub nosed. I think we can say he “snubbed” Jesus and as said – before the rooster crowed.
I also found great hope in this painting and the Simon (Peter) story. You could say Simon didn’t know how the denial would turn out but Jesus told him quite clearly when he spoke the name he would be known by…
Matthew 16:15-19 NIV
15 …Jesus asked. “Who do you say I am?”
16 Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”
17 Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven. 18 And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. 19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”
There was a depth to their relationship. Jesus was calling out the GOLD in Simon – that he would be Cephas (Peter), the rock!
Denial was in his history. The chicken scratch of past – not the ROCK of his future!
Your life has a message from Jesus too! We need to be like Peter and willing to hear it from the Lord as He calls us to our future. The world needs what we are carrying! We were made for such a time as this!
I pray that this week, you will hear the call of God to be ALL that He created you to be. That you would have courage to step forward to ALL that He has in store for you! Thank you Jesus for this gift of life on earth – as it is in heaven!
It's not really about me... 