Episode 84

TODAY’S READING:

3 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,

4and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you, 5 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. 6 In all this, you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. 7 These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory, and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. 8 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 inexpressible and glorious joy,

1 Peter 1:3-8

 

As a church, my Pastor has embarked us on an 8-week journey to read 1 Peter. A letter to Christians scared around the outskirts of an area called “east Asia,” which in the modern day would be Turkey. 

 

Because I have been reading this and writing in my SOAP journal (SOAP stands for Scripture, Observation, Application, and Prayer), I figured it would be most appropriate to share my prayers with you. 

 

These verses are essentially the intro to his letter. A letter I believe is equally as important and impactful today. 

 

I know today is a new day, we are approaching the end of the week, and you’ve maybe had some long days at work. Yesterday was pretty brutal for me with back-to-back calls with clients. I couldn’t catch a break. I was tired. I know some of you are tired too. If it’s not what you are feeling now, it’s not a foreign feeling. We’ve all experienced a sense of overwhelming tiredness. 

 

Beyond that, we all have a season in life where we experience great pain and suffering through losing a loved one or the brutal robbing of innocence. The world can be full of pain. 

 

Our good news is that our hope is in Jesus. This verse says we have an inheritance waiting for us in heaven. Until we get to heaven, God shields us with his power. Meaning we are always protected here on earth. 

 

It also says:

 

though now, for a little while, you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. 7 These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith

 

Our faith is worth more than gold itself. Where gold can melt, our faith cannot be shaken. We’ve gone through painful seasons, and God has pulled us out of them. 

 

If you are in a season now, and you don’t see where you could possibly have faith, take my word for it. Push through. God can do immeasurably more than you can ever think or imagine. My testimony is living proof. 

 

As you go about your day today, hold on to the last bit of this passage: 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 inexpressible and glorious joy.

 

PRAYER

Jesus, thank you for our great faith. It is an honor to live a life that glorifies your name. It is because of our testimonies that our faith can never be shaken. We love you; we honor you, and today we pray that we hold on tight to our faith. We can’t see your physical face, but we can see your fingerprints all over our life. We are excited about all that you have yet to do for us. It is in your Holy name that we pray, Amen!