Would those who know us best think the actions we are taking in our lives are moving us toward the Savior Jesus Christ? Do we let the demands and cares of the world control our time, interests and priorities?
The Apostle Peter Ran to the Savior
I read an interesting blog by Chris Ogden, Part of which I quote below.
“I am deeply moved by the accounts of Peter in the New Testament. He was brazen, impetuous, fiercely loyal, and loving—the original ‘rock.’ I particularly love the images from two different events, both of which occurred shortly after the Savior was crucified. First, in both in Luke 24 and John 20 (of the Bible), we’re told that early in the morning of Resurrection Sunday, Mary Magdalene, the Savior’s mother, and other women were there at the tomb, ready to care for His body. When these women came running to the disciples, telling of angels and folded linen and an empty tomb, the account says Peter and John ran to the sepulchre. I am inspired by the fact that they ran. They didn’t know what they would find in the tomb. They were reeling, I presume, with feelings of grief, shock, and confusion, grappling with bewildering questions like “How could this happen? And why, when He raised so many from the dead, did He not save Himself?” Amid the bitterness of betrayal and the vastness of their loss, they may have been experiencing physical and emotional exhaustion, paralyzing fear, and so much more. But instead of debating and analyzing the women’s assertions or giving way to despair, they ran to the tomb.
“Often when I am feeling bloodied and bruised, exhausted, empty, preyed upon or put upon, weak, wounded, less than, confused, abandoned, discouraged, outraged, fearful, tearful, or sinful—all too often—I withdraw from Him. But Peter seemed to know better. He seemed to recognize that healing, strength, and clarity would be found only in the Lord’s presence. And he ran to seek that influence. He showed his willingness to rush to the Lord once again just a short time later, as we read in John 21 (in the Bible) Peter decided to ‘go a fishing,’and several of the disciples thought that sounded like a pretty good idea. However, their opinions may have changed after a full night of fishing without any success.
“But when the morning was now come, Jesus stood on the shore: but the disciples knew not that it was Jesus.
After calling out to them and learning they had caught nothing, Jesus suggested that they cast their nets on the right side of the ship. When the nets were suddenly filled to the breaking point with fish, John said to Peter, ‘It is the Lord.’ (John 21: 5-7 in the Bible) That was all it took. ‘Now when Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he … did cast himself into the sea.’ (John 21: 7 in the Bible). He couldn’t wait even long enough to row the boat back to shore. Peter threw himself headlong into the water. I love to picture him furiously paddling and splashing with water spraying everywhere as he urgently and clumsily staggered up through the shallows to the beach. As John said, it was the Lord! And nothing would keep Peter from the Savior’s side. He exerted all of his strength and energy to draw near to his friend and his Redeemer.”
“I’ve pondered a great deal about what I can learn from Peter’s example—his desire, his focus, his humility, his love. How can I run to the Lord? How pure and compelling is my desire to be in His presence? And how urgently do I seek Him? For me, I think running to Him begins with loving Him—not in an abstract way but in a deeply personal, one-on-one way. Shortly after Peter’s swim, the Lord was asking him, “Lovest thou me?”6 And lest we skim and miss that question, the Lord repeated it three times. Obviously, it matters whether I love Him and how I show that love. In addition, running to someone requires intention and direction.
“I believe our love for Him and our focus on Him form a cycle. The more time we spend by His side, the more we love Him. And the more we love Him, the more we’ll want to run to His side despite what is happening around us.
Oh, how I wish to strive to do this better! To reject the tendency to get distracted, to despond, or to wait. No, I want to consciously run to Him—in my distress, in my fear, in my confusion, in my pain—not always knowing the end from the beginning, because He is the Beginning and the End. And He is risen.”
Glorious Mission and Atonement of Jesus Christ
1. He broke the bands of death opening the door for the universal resurrection of mankind.
2. Through His suffering for our sins He removes our sins if we repent.
3. He offers peace and healing from the adversities of life.
4. The Savior made possible the eternal progression of all the sons and daughters of God.
5. He atonement allows the possibility of experiencing a fullness of Joy and Happiness in the life to come.
Quoted part of a Blog article by Chris Ogden entitled “They Ran” published July 7, 2021.