Numbers 32:23 – But if you fail to do this, you will be sinning against the Lord; and you may be sure that your sin will find you out. (NIV)

Luke 22:60-62 – Peter replied, "Man, I don't know what you're talking about!" Just as he was speaking, the rooster crowed. The Lord turned and looked straight at Peter. Then Peter remembered the word the Lord had spoken to him: "Before the rooster crows today, you will disown me three times." And he went outside and wept bitterly. (NIV)

Our local newspaper recently carried headlined stories for two days about a theft in our community. A young man, on a dare, stole a five-hundred-pound bronze horse that marked the entrance to a subdivision. He hadn't thought the situation through too well, and was at a loss as how to dispose of an item of that size and weight. He took it to the river, only to find that a hollow horse did not sink until it was filled with water. What had started out as a spur-of-the-moment adventure, undertaken in fun, ended up with the young man in jail.

As a Christian, I see him as an impulsive young man, not too unlike Peter, who spoke before he thought through an issue. Peter had no intention of denying Christ, but yet, before the rooster crowed, he had denied Him three times.

I think so often of the look that passed between Jesus and Peter after the betrayal. To Peter, that must have been the most painful moment of his life.

I have never taken anything on a dare, but many times, I have acted impulsively and hurt someone, or created an action that could not be undone. Many times words slip from my mouth that should never have been uttered, creating a "hollow horse that will not sink".

The good news is that Jesus forgave Peter, and his confession that Jesus was the Christ became the rock upon which He built His church. That forgiveness is still available to us today, all because of a man called Jesus and His death on a cross.

Prayer: Lord, we need thinkers who can act quickly, but we need forgiveness when we act impulsively and hurt others. When we break the law we must pay the consequences, even though Your death paid the price for the forgiveness of our sin. Amen.

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