Reflections on portions of the letter called 1 Peter. Often the day's piece of scripture will simple be added to the one that was used for the devotion from the day previous so as to give more context to the passage.
Blessed be the God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! By his great mercy he has given us a new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who are being protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
In this you rejoice, even if now for a little while you have had to suffer various trials, so that the genuineness of your faith - being more precious than gold that, though perishable, is tested by fire - may be found to result in praise and glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. Although you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and rejoice with an indescribable and glorious joy, for you are receiving the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.
Too much is being said here. We rejoice in this great living hope we have in Christ, Jesus. To have God's promise of life on our side - without hesitation and without end - is enough to pull us through the times of our lives that can appear to be quite unbearable. I must admit, sometimes, this does not seem like enough. Sometimes the sting of our mortality and the pains of loss and disappointments can be beyond our ability to endure. And yet, what we hear in these words is a reminder of a truth that is able to see us through the worst that can and will be. Our God is not playing games with us...that is...setting us up with trials and great burdens in order to see if we will trust in God. Rather, these things will come - that is life. At the same time, it will be the time in which the gift of God's promise will be available for our benefit. We are promised that in Christ, Jesus, we will see the fullness of God's promise and we will be able to rejoice in it no matter what seems to prevail. Trusting in our God brings a life that is concrete and saves us from top to bottom...from inside to outside...both now and forever.
Connection: No present situation of pain or sorrow or distress is greeted with open arms. Today we may stumble into the presence of such situations. Today we must also be aware of how God will abide with us in all things. Today we must remember how God abides through the touch and presence of others who are also turning to our God to be all that God has promised.
In all that fades away, you, O God, remain our sure foundation. We give you thanks for how your steadfast love lingers so that we can sense how it wraps us up in many shapes and forms. How beautiful is the life of faith that knits together a community that shares a vision for life when life can seem so restricted and at an end. Again, we praise you for this day and the faithfulness of our Lord, Jesus, into which we are called to live. Amen.
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