1 Peter 1:1- 5 - Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ,
To God's elect, strangers in the world, scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia,
Asia and Bithynia, who have been chosen according to the
foreknowledge of God the Father, through the sanctifying work of
the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and
sprinkling by his blood: Grace and peace be yours in abundance. Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord
Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us
new birth into a living hope through the
resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an
inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade--kept
in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God's power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to
be revealed in the last time
When I read the word stranger…I had a hard time accepting
it. One of my gifts is the ability to speak to anyone…to strike up a
conversation with someone I have never met…it is easy for me. But in Peter’s world... persecution must have made
them very suspicious of others they did not know….were they a believer…or
someone who would do them harm if they knew they believed in the Messiah. And he speaks also of how they were divided
by distance…unlike our world where technology has shortened the distance
between the great span of nations in our world…at least for conversation. The
believers of Peter’s culture must have felt that many they saw every day were
strangers…spread so far apart with no means of communication except letters or
personal visits.
I guess if I really
think about it….we are all strangers until we happen to cross paths with the
ones God chooses to send our way…either for us to help…or for them to help us.
And as Peter describes for us here..if we allow the Holy Spirit to provide the
strength and power for us to be obedient… a wonderful thing happens…we begin to
develop that chance meeting into a relationship of support or encouragement…a
stranger becomes a friend to talk to…a fellow sister or brother in Christ.
One reason God gives us this gift of friendship…of
relationship with others is to support us in our times of trials. Peter tells
us just a few verses more how we must stand obedient in the trials God allows
to envelop our lives is to develop our faith…to prove it genuine to the others
who are watching us. He says we need to
prepare our mind…be holy( which in this passage is to be reverent ….to understand
that God is sovereign…in control). He
also tells us to be self controlled…to be obedient because the world will fade
some day soon from our sight…our home is Heaven is our permanent dwelling where
he will take all of us who have asked him to live in our temporary heart on
this Earth.
The other reason is tucked into verse 8, it says, “ Though
you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now,
you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and
glorious joy,” …It is very hard to describe this joy of the unseen Christ to
someone who hasn’t met him yet…but the joy provides the message for those of us
brave enough to speak to those strangers around us. We must remember that our redemption was necessary…none
of us was perfect enough to get to Heaven on our own. And this salvation we enjoy…the joy that we experience
came at a costly price…not just to the Christ who hung on the cross…but to
those disciples like Peter who did not allow their fear of the world’s
persecution to stop them from spreading the gospel to others. God planned it
that way…so we could prove we really meant what we said when we acknowledged
him as our Savior. Our lives now are to
be marked by holy reverence…allowing our faith to shield us from any danger
Satan throws in the way to try and stop us.
Father…I thank you once again this day …for allowing me to
be your child. Give me new strength and
power against the tricks of Satan that try to make me believe I am
powerless. Help me be bold and share
your love with all that you place in my path.
Give me a reverence for you that keeps me obedient in every task you
give me to do. Continue to give me the strength to walk through these trials you
allow in my life to prove my genuineness.
Thank you for choosing me….sanctifying me…and giving me new power each
day to accomplish everything you have given me to do. Help me to hear your
voice when you have something for me to do…even if it interrupts my schedule
for the day. Amen.
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