spiritual boldness

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Then he began to invoke a curse on himself and to swear, “I do not know the man.” And immediately the rooster crowed. And Peter remembered the saying of Jesus, “Before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times.” And he went out and wept bitterly. [Matthew 26:74-75 ESV]

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This is probably one of the most famous passages in the bible.
Who cannot relate to weeping bitterly when we fail spiritually?
Who does not occasionally hear the crow of the rooster when we fail?

Such is the result when we put our trust in ourselves - I can relate to Peter's boasting.
Many times we do not understand how difficult it is to overcome temptation.
We make boastful statements that we wish we had never said.

Such is the broken state that Peter finds himself as he denies the Lord a third time.
Peter, like all of us, needed the empowering presence of the Holy Spirit.
It is so interesting to see the change in Peter and the disciples in the book of Acts.

After the Holy Spirit came on them these disciples no longer boasted foolishly.
These lived lives marked by boldness rather than boasting.
Consider what Peter said before the same tribunal that tried Jesus:

Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “Rulers of the people and elders, if we are being examined today concerning a good deed done to a crippled man, by what means this man has been healed, let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead—by him this man is standing before you well.

This is the man who once cowered at the questioning of a servant girl.
He now waxes bold in front of those who had condemned his master to death.
This turn around is simply amazing and speaks to the influence of the Holy Spirit.

Help me not to brag Lord. Fill me afresh with spiritual boldness. I need you in my life.

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... this devotion is part of the Red Letters series. Click here to read more.