Run to God
by: Luke Denney
April 8, 2026
“Then the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” As soon as Simon Peter heard him say, “It is the Lord,” he wrapped his outer garment around him (for he had taken it off) and jumped into the water.”
How do you respond when things don’t go the way you thought they were going to go? I heard a speaker ask this question several years ago, and every so often it will find its way back into my thoughts. The story I think of most whenever this question crosses my mind is Peter’s denial of Jesus. Prior to his shortcoming, Peter was so confident that he would not deny Jesus that he actually told Jesus face to face that he would die with Him and would never deny Him (Matthew 26:31-35). Sure enough, later on as Jesus was being spat on and beaten, Peter denied knowing Him three times. He made an oath, called down curses, and swore to everyone there that he did not know Jesus (Matthew 26:69-75). The reality of Peter’s faith and commitment to Jesus was laid bare for everyone to see, including himself. After the rooster crowed, Peter realized what he had done and went outside to weep bitterly (Matthew 26:75).
I can only imagine how Peter must have felt. Just a few hours earlier he was defending his loyalty to Jesus not just in front of Jesus, but all of his fellow disciples. He was absolutely convinced that he was willing to die for his faith in Jesus and he let everyone there know. To make matters worse, he had been with Jesus during His ministry. He knew who Jesus was and what He could do. He saw Him teach with authority, heal the lame and blind, and set people free from demonic oppression. Yet, he still denied knowing Jesus because unbeknownst to him, he needed to grow. It was not until he denied Jesus that he was made aware of the reality of his faith, and he wept because of it.
What does this story have to do with us as modern day Christians? I’ve never been in a situation where I have had to face persecution or death for my faith, but I am guilty of telling God I’m not going to do something and then doing it (and vice versa). Depending on your circumstances, this can look like anything. It could be engaging in gossip with friends when you know it’s wrong. It could be getting that extra drink when you know it’ll push you over the edge. It could be scrolling on social media when you know you’re wasting time. It could be eating that extra bite when you know you’ve had enough. Here’s the tough question that this begs: if we are unwilling to stop engaging in mindless sin like gossip, then how can we confidently say that we would die for our faith in Jesus? Let me put it this way: dying for Jesus is not just something that we may or may not experience depending on what part of the world we live in. Dying for Jesus is something that we need to be doing every single day. Not literally, but killing our pride and obeying His commandments should be the natural response of our love for Him (John 14:15).
So, what do we do when we find ourselves in a situation similar to Peter’s? We do what Peter did: some time had gone by since Jesus resurrected, and Peter decided to go fishing with some of the other disciples. They fished all night, and didn’t catch anything. The next day, Jesus appears on the shore and yells out to them to cast their net on the right side of the boat. Still unaware that it is Jesus, they do as He says and catch so many fish that they can’t even haul it in. John finally recognizes Him as Jesus and tells Peter. As soon as the words come out of his mouth that it is Jesus, Peter jumps into the water and swims to meet Him on shore (John 21:1-8).
When Peter became aware of the reality of his faith, he had two options: run from God or run to God. We run from God when we are prideful, and we run to God when we are humble. It is as simple as that. When Peter humbled himself, looked up at God and asked to be picked up, he finally experienced true growth and got to a point where he would in fact die for his faith in Jesus (John 21:19). God allowed Peter to walk through what he walked through so that their relationship could transcend its current state. That’s how much God loved him, and that’s how much God loves us too. God allows us to become aware of our sin not so that we can experience condemnation or shame, but so that He can carry us through repentance and into greater intimacy with Him.
Prayer
Father, thank You for loving me enough to correct me. Please make me aware of any area in my life that I need to repent of so that I may grow more into the likeness of Christ and closer to You. Thank You for the blood of Jesus, that makes all things new. It is in His name that I pray. Amen.
Worship: Joy Thief
Further Study
Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
Psalms 51:10 NIV
Related Posts
How do you respond when things don’t go the way you thought they were going to go? I heard a speaker ask this question several years ago, and every so often it will find its way back into my thoughts.