1 Peter
We’ve come to the end of another week. We have gone through 1 Peter. The apostle Peter writes from prison to young Christians around the Roman Empire who are facing rough times, trials and persecutions. We all have bad days, bad weeks and bad years. Some days it feels like the world is against us and doubts that God is on our side plague us. We know he could do a miracle but it does not come and we suspect the fault is our little faith or our big sins. Peter reminds us that we are not only inheritors of an eternal inheritance that is being stored for us and does not depreciate with interest rates but we are also inheritors of living hope. That’s not wishing hope but living hope based on the proof of the resurrection and the knowledge that God, the judge, is impartial. He revenges and vindicates and we don’t need to. We are free to live in “reverent fear” that is respect for God who has true power and not fear of punishment. We do not need to conform to the rules of the game for this world – an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth – but we can return good for evil because we have been forgiven our sins and been recipients of blessings. Returning good for evil is the only way to silence those who accuse. And ultimately, if we are to suffer, then let us suffer for doing good. Our model is Jesus Christ and the cross. He rose from the dead. God is able to bring about good that we cannot even anticipate.
In third grade I had to turn in my little Bible memorization award badges and I received a little wooden plaque with 1 Peter 5:7 on it. That plaque sat by my bed, went to college, went to Africa and now sits on my dresser – about 70 years of comfort!
1 Peter 5:7
“Cast all your anxiety of him because he cares for you.”
Enjoy this worship song based on this verse. It has comforted me many times when I am down. Blessings.
On the Way to Wonder 