The Crowing Rooster
Douglas Webster, The Discipline of Surrender, Chapter 9


Somewhere along the line I have picked up the phrase, "You will eventually become the thing you judge." Don't know where I heard it but I believe it may be true. Do I judge the thief? I will become a thief? Do I judge the adulterer? I will become an adulterer. Do I judge the gossiper? I will wind up telling everyone I know about that gossiper.

Webster does a phenomenal job here. The life of Peter is something to talk about for many, many posts. Peter's Pride runs akin to our pride, he says. Even though we are warned in Christ, we are deceived by our pride into thinking we don't even need the warnings! Praise God that, like Peter, after our denials of Jesus the Spirit of God in us will always convict us into Life-giving repentance, not a death-giving regret (i.e. Judas). 

It may be worth noting here the difference between condemnation and conviction. The devil condemns us after we have denied Christ. But the Lord convicts us after the same act. Condemnation drives us to remorse. Conviction is always lined with the fragrance of Destiny. Condemnation draws us inward, isolates us, and blinds us from seeing not only who we are as children of God, but questions the whole of our relationship with him. Condemnation will say, "You are bad. Get alone and wallow in your the realization of what you did. And, while you're at it, let's look deeply at all the other things you supposedly did for your God, if they were anything at all. Do you really think you are walking with him? Did God really say?" And so on down the line. Condemnation will seek to undo in your head everything you have ever done in your heart for Christ. 

Conviction is different. It says, "You blew it - but get up! There's more to do. I have a work for you. I forgive you. Trust me in that and let's move into the plans I have for you!" See the difference. For us that means we need to be listening to the voices in our head when seeking restoration. We need to discern whether we are feeling one way or the other. The Holy Spirit first reveals the sin. That's the good thing. But the devil is quick to rush in to blame and confuse and seek to keep us in that guilt-ridden state for as long as he can. Our response to this assault? Don't listen to it. Rebuke it and run. Choose rather to accept the loving conviction of the Father and then allow him to feed you on the beach of restoration. "Do you love me?" he will ask. "Yes, Lord, you know I love you. I still love you," will be your response. Notice here Jesus doesn't go back to the event. He doesn't seek to unveil Peter's motives for the denial, what he could have done better, why he fought for Him one minute and was denying Him the next like the devil will do. Didn't matter. Jesus wanted Peter to know he was forgiven and that it shouldn't hold him up. Get up. There is real work to do!!! "Weeping may remain for a night, but rejoicing comes in the morning" (Psalm 30:5).

Comments?

Back to the book. I was struck with how the rooster was transformed from a reminder of something terrible to a memorial of restoration! Only God can do that. "The rooster is a strange Biblical image, but it was Jesus who drew it to Peter's attention and to ours for our own good" (p.88). Christians place a unique symbolism in normal everyday things. Why? God uses normal everyday things to incarnate himself prophetically through them: a donkey, a towel and basin, an altar, and so on. 

What normal everyday thing has God used in your world to reveal a deeper meaning? Download a picture from the internet and post it - explaining how God has used the thing in your life!