Yesterday evening my husband and I were talking in the car on the way home from our Valentine date and he began to share with me a story about his time with God a few weeks ago. He was on a walk and started to ask God questions. He had already shared with me bits and pieces of what God had spoken to him but yesterday, he shared something he had not yet shared.
One of the questions he asked God was, what was on His heart that day. To which he heard God reply, “My People.” My husband then asks, “Well, what can I do to help?” The response he heard was familiar yet powerful. He told my husband, “Feed my Sheep.” He then went on to share with me what he felt God meant by that for his current season of life.
When he shared this with me, I felt the sudden power of God’s presence invade my heart and mind. At that moment, I was met with a deeper understanding of John 21:15-17 as the words penetrated through my soul and spirit. For the first time there was clarity that what Jesus was saying to Peter was the same thing He is saying to you and I.
Some of you may be guilty of the same thing I have done for so many years when reading or hearing this passage of scripture. Looking at those verses and focusing on what Peter did to deserve that repeated response rather than the depth of what Jesus said. We missed the fact that what Jesus was doing was giving Peter an assignment to fulfill during the remainder of his time here on earth. Those last words spoken to Peter by Jesus were not just his reinstatement and restoration from a bad decision, they were his marching orders. A personal command from God to Peter as to how he was to fulfill the Purpose.
Can I tell you something, it’s easy to see how wrong Peter was for denying Jesus three times. But when looking up the word deny, two definitions stand out to me,
1. to be unwilling to grant.
2. to refuse to acknowledge as one’s own or as one’s responsibility.
There are so many people today that are unwilling to acknowledge their responsibility to fulfill the assignment God has given them and unwilling to grant God the true sacrifice required to walk in full obedience. I heard someone once say, “Presenting ourselves as a living sacrifice is good but it’s a problem because a living sacrifice wants to crawl off the altar,” and if we are honest some of us won’t even go on it. We are simply unwilling to grant or refuse to acknowledge responsibility for our assignment because, it’s scary, uncertain and uncomfortable.
When my husband shared this moment with me, I almost started crying. I felt such a presence of love and truth at that moment. It was as if I could hear God saying to me,
“Rachel, the reason your assignment matters is because I have called you to feed my sheep. Feed my sheep through writing, feed my sheep through speaking, feed my sheep through mentoring and teaching. These are the ways I created YOU to feed my sheep. Every platform you are given and every person you encounter is an opportunity for you to feed my sheep. Your assignment matters because MY sheep matter.“
What a selah moment. As my husband continued talking, I stayed stuck right there. With a repented heart and willing soul, I found a new reason to press forward in obedience to my assignment.
Can I invite you to do the same. To hear those words, repent and boldly move forward in the last instructions God gave you. God isn’t asking for much. He has already equipped and empowered you to access what’s needed to fulfill your assignments. You just have to take action.
Feed His Sheep!
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