Romans 4:17
…God, who gives life to the dead and calls those things which do not exist as though they did;
Sometimes we look at ourselves and don’t see what we can become, we see what we currently are. But when God looks at us, He always sees what we can become by His grace.
When Jesus first saw Simon, whose name in Greek means “reed”, He changed his name to “Peter”, which means “rock”. But did Peter instantly become someone with the characteristics of a rock – solid, stable and unshakable? No, for a long time, he continued to act like a reed that bends every which way the wind blows.
Once, when Peter saw Jesus walking on water, he took a bold step of faith and said, “Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.” Then, as he was walking on the water, he saw the boisterous wind, got scared and began to sink, crying out, “Lord, save me!” (Matthew 14:28-30) Another time, he said, “Lord, I am ready to go with You, both to prison and to death.” (Luke 22:33) Then, a few hours later, he denied knowing Jesus not once, but three times. (Luke 22:54-62)
Yet, throughout his reed-like behavior, Jesus kept calling him “rock” until one day, what Jesus saw began to take root in him. That day, on the Day of Pentecost, Peter stood up to preach and 3,000 people were saved! (Acts 2:41) Peter had indeed become a rock, a pillar in the early church.
That was how Jesus transformed Peter. And that is how God wants us to change the people and situations in our lives. You might be saying, “But I’m too old,” or “I can’t do that.” God does not tell us to call those things which exist as they exist. What is the point of stating the obvious? It is not going to change anything. God tells us to call those things which do not exist as though they did, and they will!
