Preparing the Way of the Lord!
Sunday, December 26, 2004
My Prayer Today
Heavenly Father, On this day after I have celebrated the birth of Your Son, Jesus, I thank You for Him, the greatest of all Christmas gifts! I praise You that instead of turning Your face from us when we rejected You, that you continued to desire a relationship with humanity. As I now consider the close of 2004, and the start of 2005, I ask You to do two things by the grace and power of Your Holy Spirit: call to my remembrance all that You have done for me in 2004, all the ways that You have blessed me and upheld me, and let me close the door on 2004, when January 1, 2005 comes, and trust You to lead me forward into another season of life with You. I pray that You will fill me with Your Holy Spirit, so that I will receive Your forgiveness for those sins that I have committed both by my action and my inaction as an accomplished fact, that frees me to serve You boldly today. Glorify Yourself in my life that others may see the wonder of Your salvation in me. Al this I pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.
God’s Word Today
1 Peter 3:13-16
13Who is going to harm you if you are eager to do good? 14But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed. “Do not fear what they fear; do not be frightened.” 15But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, 16keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander.
Reflecting on God's Word
Have you ever been afraid without reason? What caused the fear?
A Deeper Exploration of God's Word
What principle does today’s Scripture establish about good and evil? (3:13)
What does today’s Scripture say to remind us that this principle isn’t always carried out here on earth? (3:14)
What does this Scripture say about fear? (3:14)
Understanding God's Word
What does this Scripture say to the times in your life when you have suffered unjustly?
Why do you suppose Peter found it necessary to address the question of unjust suffering?
Applying God's Word to Our Lives
What one thing does today’s Scripture call you to be or do about your relationship with God?
Thoughts...Suffering for What is Right…
The Apostle Peter wrote his letters to the Christians living in his day who were spread throughout the middle east. He sets forth a principle in verse thirteen that no one will bother us if we do “good.” But then in verse fourteen he amends the statement, to inform us that if we do suffer for doing what is right we are “blessed.” Why the change of emphasis? The main reason is that in Peter’s day those who followed Jesus, those who did “good” were often persecuted and sometimes executed for their goodness! Thus, Peter’s exhortation to endure suffering for righteousness. We find that Jesus offered the same exhortation in the Sermon on the Mount in the Beatitudes. He said that we are blessed when we suffer for righteousness sake, because the prophets who came before us were mistreated in the same way. Goodness and truth are not always welcomed by open arms in our world. That’s because folks living in sin don’t want to be reminded of what’s good and right. Even so, our call is to live in the power of the Holy Spirit, so that by our lives others will see the light of Jesus in us, and will turn from evil and do good!