I was praying for someone tonight that “their faith would not fail” in a difficult hour.  These words originally came from Jesus.  Satan had asked to sift Peter as wheat, but Jesus had prayed that “his faith would not fail.”  But what did Peter do?  As soon as the time came, three times Peter denied Jesus.  Three.  Times.  So did Peter’s faith fail?

Well, it would seem like this is the case.  How do you deny someone not once but three times and not consider that a failure?  Except that it wasn’t the end of the story.  Jesus would meet Peter again and while he confronted him 3x.  Then Jesus completely restored and commissioned him.  What if Peter would have just rolled over and quit as a failure?  What if Jesus as his leader would’ve written him off?

The story doesn’t end with a great failure.  The story actually begins.  How will that failure be handled?  Because in Peter’s case, what he did after his failure changed history.  Including yours.