“But Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice, and proclaimed to them: “Men of Judah and all you residents of Jerusalem, let me explain this to you and pay attention to my words.” Acts 2:14
“God can draw a straight line with a crooked stick.” My pastor voices this sentiment frequently. I believe he wants us to comprehend the fact God never waits for any us to “have it all together” before He uses us. We are frail and feeble as dust. One moment we are on a mountaintop proclaiming the power of an almighty God; the next moment we may be wallowing in self pity over injustices, inconveniences, or having been slighted in some way.
As strange as life may seem, God is content with using us in spite of all our shortcomings. As one famous preacher says, “We are God’s plan A. There is no plan B.” The great God of the universe desires to use each one of us to glorify His name and to build His kingdom.
Ask a person who’s heard any Bible stories at all to describe the Apostle Peter. First fact out of their mouth may tell of how he made the cock crow three times. Jesus predicted it. Peter didn’t believe he ever would. But sure enough, Peter denied Christ on three different occasions. In the distance he heard the crowing. His failures and weaknesses brought him to a place of brokenness. Peter was impulsive. He tried to tell Jesus how to run the show on earth. He ran ahead of Jesus. At one point Jesus looked at his feisty follower and rebuked him saying, “Get behind Me, Satan! You are an offense to Me because you’re not thinking about God’s concerns, but man’s.” Talk about a scolding. Wow! Surely the words stung. Yet, Peter needed to learn to control his passions.
After Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection, Peter was a new man. When filled with the power of the Holy Spirit, Peter’s passions were harnessed in the right direction. No longer a denier, now, he was a “proclaimer” – and a bold one at that.
Jesus saw through all of Peter’s shortcomings, even called him a rock (before he truly was a rock). Our Savior sees through each of us, and chooses to use us anyway. You and I are God’s plan for telling His story of love and forgiveness, for building His Kingdom. As Peter stood boldly and proclaimed truth, let’s model his passion. Let’s be the best plan A we can be!