0652. The Intensity of His Personal Watch-Care
The Intensity of His Personal Watch-Care
"And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat: but I have prayed for thee" (Luk_22:31-32).
Simon Peter was one of the most impulsive of the twelve Apostles, and yet one of the most faithful. When the Lord had said, "All you shall be offended because of Me," Peter had responded, "Although all shall be offended, yet will not I." The Master, however, knew, on the one hand, the weakness of Simon, and on the other, the power of satan. He also foreknew how Peter would slip away from his integrity; He foresaw Peter following afar off; He foresaw him warming at the enemies’ fire; He foresaw his denial; and, He foresaw him cursing as he said, "I know not the Man."
Behold, however, how Christ shows the intensity of His personal oversight over Peter. He did not say, merely "Simon," but He said "Simon! Simon!" "I have prayed for thee."
What we need today is this same manifestation of personal watch-care over those who stumble. In Ezekiel 34, "God says to the Prophet: Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel, prophesy, and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God unto the shepherds, * * The diseased have ye not strengthened, neither have ye healed that which was sick, neither have ye bound up that which was broken, neither have ye brought again that which was driven away, neither have ye sought that which was lost."
"Have you sought for the sheep that have wandered,
Far away on the dark mountain cold,
Have you brought them again to the shepherd,
And carried them safe to the fold?"
Illustration: A little boy was caught under the debris of a falling building in the city of Liverpool. The rescuers were working might and main to take away the debris. Now and then they stopped to listen, and then they could hear his plaintive voice, weakly crying: "Heave away, chaps! heave away." Let all of us "heave away." Let us reach out our hand to help those in our midst who are being tempted and led away by satan.
Autor: R.E. NEIGHBOUR