Have you ever felt like your faith was as fragile as a sandcastle facing the rising tide? If so, you’re not alone. Peter, who was called the “rock,” knew what it was like to crumble under pressure.

Imagine a sun-beaten fisherman with calloused hands, pulling in worn-out nets. One day, he hears a simple invitation: “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men” (Matthew 4:19, ESV). In that moment, Simon becomes Peter, the rock. But rocks don’t come ready-made—they’re shaped and formed by pressure.

Jump ahead to that fateful night in a cold courtyard. The once-bold Peter, now trembling with fear, denies Jesus: “I do not know the man” (Matthew 26:74, ESV). As the rooster crows, Peter’s world collapses, like glass shattering on concrete.

But here’s the amazing part about God—He specializes in restoration. He takes the shattered pieces of our lives and turns them into a mosaic of grace.

Think back to that lakeside conversation. Jesus asks Peter three times, “Do you love me?” (John 21:17, ESV). With each “yes,” Peter is restored, recommissioned, rebuilt.

Now look at Peter on Pentecost. The man who once denied Jesus is now standing with boldness, declaring to the crowd: “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2:38, ESV). Three thousand souls respond, and the church is born.

The same Peter who had once denied Jesus is now rejoicing in the face of suffering. Beaten and warned, he and the apostles celebrate “that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonor for the name” (Acts 5:41, ESV).

Friend, the next time you feel like a small pebble in a world full of boulders, remember Peter.