And Peter went out, and wept bitterly. – Luke 22:62 (King James Version)

Everyone of us could break at any moment.

The most important relational bond we can have is the bond we have with our Creator. Sweet that bond can be when it is unimpeded by sin, but we can easily break that bond at the drop of a hat.

Jonah the prophet, servant of The Lord, broke that bond when he allowed his hatred to interfere. Thoroughly disgusted by the Ninevites, Jonah would see them destroyed by the Holy Judge, not rescued by the Merciful King.

Job, a man after God’s own heart, broke his bond when he allowed bitterness of soul to interfere. Beaten down by the devastation he had suffered, Job distrusted God’s intentions for his life.

Peter, once zealous for his friend Jesus, broke that bond when he allowed fear to rule his heart. Jealous for his own life, the Apostle vehemently denounced Jesus three times at the very moment the Savior needed a friend’s support.

In each of these cases – and in so many more not detailed here – men of God broke fellowship with their Creator, their God, and their Friend. Each man was brought to his knees by circumstances that were too much for him to bear, and the burden turned him away from God rather than towards Him.

Most of us have encountered or will encounter such times in life. We will break fellowship with our God because we will be broken by our sin. But take comfort in the fact that God will seek to restore our fellowship, just like he did with Jonah, Job, and Peter. God’s restoration efforts may consist of a harsh spanking, like they did for Jonah. They may consist of harsh words, like they did for Job. Or, they may consist of kindly, persistent questioning, like they did for Peter. No matter how God chooses to reach out, He will reach out, and we can take comfort in the fact that when we reach our breaking point, God will seek to mend the rift and restore our fellowship with Him.