Precious

Precious.

The word that comes to mind when I see a newborn baby, or watch a little tike give his mama a flower that was hand-picked especially for her. Something about the word makes me stop and smile. It’s not a term I use often and, when I do, it seems to have a distinct meaning.

I suppose that’s why I took notice when I realized that Peter used the word to describe God’s promises.

And because of his glory and excellence, he has given us great and precious promises.
These are the promises that enable you to share his divine nature and escape the world’s corruption caused by human desires.
2 Peter 1:4

Precious: of great value; not to be wasted or treated carelessly. What a beautiful definition in relation to Peter’s use of the word!

Further digging helped me see that Peter must have been fond of the word. He also talked about the precious faith, the precious blood, the precious stone (quoting the prophet Isaiah), and the precious Savior.

Of course he did! This former fisherman – turned disciple, apostle, missionary, cellmate, evangelist, church planter, and exhorter – was also the man who denied Jesus … at the most difficult time in his Rabbi’s life. Three times.

He knew the pain of deeply disappointing the One he loved, the profound regret of wishing he could turn back time and stand up for His Savior, of desiring forgiveness, and hoping for a fully restored relationship.

One morning after the resurrection, after Jesus surprised Peter and his fishing partners with a record catch and breakfast on the beach, Jesus did just that. He restored Peter to Himself. He knew Peter was still a man of faith and commitment and He asked him to examine and confirm the strength of his earlier commitment. Then… He introduced him to his new role – that of shepherd. In that moment, Jesus commissioned Peter to tend His flock.

How precious our Savior, the shedding of His blood, the Father’s promises, and his faith must have been to Peter. And how precious they should be to us.

Value beyond calculation. Nothing wasted or treated carelessly. Absolutely precious.