JP: Roosters

So, when is the former chicken plucker gonna write about chickens?!?! Finally, after 5 months God talked chicken to me. Roosters to be exact, and it wasn't pretty. Let's take a look at roosters. Biblically and from the world's viewpoint, what do roosters symbolize? They strut around secure and confident in themselves. I remember seeing the "escapees" in the plant yard totally oblivious to the reality that soon awaited them. Roosters are a great representation of pride. I believe that God put them on the Earth to remind us of the 'roosterness' that exists inside all of us. Each of us because of our position, job title, financial standing, social upbringing, and even ministry can have a tendency to get 'roostery'.

We all know Peter's story. Remember how after the Last Supper when Jesus and the Disciples went to the Mount of Olives, Jesus told them that they would all deny that they knew Him before the night ended. Good ol' Peter crows "Nope, not me. Everyone else may, but I will never fall away." Then Jesus drops a bombshell on him, "before a cock crows, you will deny Me three times." The rooster in Peter rose up and declared he would die before he denied Jesus. The rest is history as they say.

One of the worship leaders at IHOP (Luke Wood) wrote a song called You Pour Out Mercy. It contains the following lyrics:

"All men's empty promises lie broken at Your feet,
but You have never broken one.
You open up Your heart time and time and time again.
You give beauty for ashes and garments of praise.
You give infinite mercy to those who fear Your name."

The good news is that even when our pride or anything else causes us to stumble in our walk with the Lord, God is waiting to bring restoration to us. After the resurrection, Jesus asked Peter the same question ("do you love Me") three times to break shame off of him from his three denials. When God asks us a question it is not because He needs information from us. He knows all. Jesus wanted Peter to discover the truth about his own heart. Out of His mercy, He wants to give us beauty (restoration) in exchange for the worthless, unbecoming former, and destructive aspects (ashes) in our lives. The question is, are we willing to trade? It's up to us.