when Satan sifts you

In the One Year Bible today, we read from Luke 22:14-34. And Jesus tells Peter that Satan is going to sift him like wheat. But that once he repents, he should strengthen his brothers.

And that's reassuring to us for many reasons. Jesus knows that when we sin, there are other forces at work, being a thorn in our sides, sifting us, easily entangling us. We don't sin in a vacuum. We make these mistakes as we try to navigate life, and with the enemy throwing his fiery darts at us along the way.

He already knows we're going to repent. Did you catch that? He said to Peter, "When you repent..." So He knows we're going to sin and He knows we're going to repent. That can bring joy to our hearts, I think. Of course we should try to avoid sin. We should stay away from it, and even from the near occasion of it. Things that lead us TOWARD sin should be avoided. Not because we want to be holier than our neighbors and look down on them. But because when we sin, we miss out on what God has for us that day. We miss the blessings that we would be enjoying if we were not sinning.

But it's reassuring to know that He knows we're going to sin, and we're going to repent. And once we've gotten those things out of the way, we should remember: strengthen our brothers.

God, thank You for already knowing we'll sin and repent, and having Your forgiving arms open wide to welcome us back home. Help us remember to strengthen our brothers.