June 1, 2025

Minding Your Thoughts

A Biblical Overview of Obtaining and Maintaining a Biblical Thought Life

June 1

Mark 14:72 And the second time the cock crew. And Peter called to mind the word that Jesus said unto him, Before the cock crow twice, thou shalt deny me thrice. And when he thought thereon, he wept.

There are few thoughts worse than failure. Unfortunately, everyone fails. I wish the saying "Failure is not an option" were true but it’s a fact of life that at some point you will fail. This is encouraging I know, however, the key to success is what you do after failure. Here in our passage, Peter realizes at the moment the rooster crowed that he failed. First, he realized that he had failed himself. He had made the promise to not do something, but as soon as possible he broke that promise to himself. Secondly, he failed his friend. Peter had the privilege of physically walking the earth with Jesus, no doubt in my mind that they became friends. When you fail a friend, it may cost you that friendship if one or both of you choose not to be friends anymore. However, it may also bring you and your friend closer after the initial heartbreak is over with.

A good friend will always be there no matter how many times you fail them because they know that you will be there for them when they fail you. Thirdly, he realized he had failed his Lord and Savior. While Peter may not have understood everything that was happening just yet, he did know that Jesus was the Christ. He had failed the Messiah and the Bible says that Jesus looked at him when he did it. This is like getting the look from your mother or father when you get in trouble; it’s not a look you want to get. The Bible says that Peter wept when these events occurred. The thought that he failed caused him to weep. What do you do when you fail?

When you realize that you have failed it can be discouraging, disheartening, or even devastating. Living in the church age we have more advantages to help us when we fail than Peter did in his day. As Christians we have the advantage of the Comforter to comfort us when we fail. God’s promise to the saved was the Holy Spirit to comfort and guide us. He can and will help you when you fail. Secondly we have a pastor to help us. The Bible says to seek counsel and there is no better counselor than the man of God that has been given to you to help you. Thirdly, we have prayer. It’s been said that every failure is a prayer failure. This is probably true, for if we prayed about things first maybe we would have fewer failures. Finally, remember when you fail, not if but when you fail, Proverbs 24:16 states:  For a just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again… There is an old saying that “Failure cannot cope with persistence." Well failure cannot cope with prayer, Biblical counsel, and the Holy Spirit either. By the way, Peter went on to do great things for God after this failure, and you can too after you fail. 

May the Lord bless and be pleased with your thought life today.

Note: This devotion was written by Missionary Jonathan Chandler.

Dr. William T. Howe