Exodus 3-5; Luke 22

Luke 22:31

And the Lord said, "Simon, Simon! Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail; and when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethern."

I never noticed these verses before. They come right before Jesus tells Simon Peter that he would deny Him three times. Jesus didn't say He would not allow Satan to "sift" Simon. Also, Jesus' prayer wasn't that Peter wouldn't fail, but that his faith wouldn't fail. Finally, Jesus said, "WHEN you have returned" not if, giving hope for restoration in spite of Peter's not standing firm.

I see sifting as a final refinement. It's the last chance of catching something in the flour that shouldn't go into the dough. Perhaps this "sifting" process Peter went through in his denials of Jesus were to teach him humility or that relying on his own strength rather than his faith was doomed to failure.

So often I seem to pray that I will be spared going though trials or temptations. Jesus' concern isn't the going through them, but rather that in the midst of them my faith will not fail. Even if I don't stand firm, I know God is faithful in His forgiveness is right there. My faith is in Him, not in my own ability.

And when I return, even if there's personal failure, after being sifted, I am still useful. God's abundant grace and mercy at work in my life can be an encouragement to strengthen others. If I run and hide and let my feelings of being unworthy keep me from service to Him, I've just shifted the focus from His atoning work on the cross to my own attempts at saving myself.

Be sifted and refined. Keep my eyes on Christ and my faith firmly in Him. Let Him working in me strengthen the body.