February 23-Stand Fast
Write out the Scripture.
1 Peter 1:13, Therefore, with minds that are alert and fully sober, set your hope on the grace to be brought to you when Jesus Christ is revealed at his coming.
Observe what it is saying.
The first 12 verses have revealed the beauty and majesty of God’s mercy that offers a new birth and ongoing salvation. Because of this amazing grace offered and accepted by the audience to which he writes, Peter instructs us that we are to have alert minds. The wording actually means that our minds must be prepared for action. The Christian faith is both heartfelt and mindful. Serious Christians must think things out and through. To be thoughtful is to own our faith so no one or nothing can steal it away. So, it makes sense we should, also, be fully sober, having a steady mind. We cannot allow intoxicating beverages or thoughts distract or detour us from the truth-telling of the gospel. Ultimately, this gospel proclaims a living hope which can cause us to endure each day’s trials. Just as the athlete engages in the pain of rigorous practice for the hope of winning so we can endure the strain of life if we know it is all headed to a glorious destination. Peter tells us there is more grace to experience. God has an unlimited supply that is generously doled out in this life and in the coming of our Lord Jesus. We can have hope today because the best is yet to come.
Relate it to your life.
I have only tasted a sample of the grace that is yet to come when Christ appears.
Do something.
Lord Jesus, give me clear thinking to hold on to the hope that is for all who believe and trust in the life-saving message of the gospel. You have saved the best for last for all who persevere to the end. Amen.
February 24-Stand Fast
Write out the Scripture.
1 Peter 1:14-16, As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. 15 But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; 16 for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.”
Observe what it is saying.
With sober minds set on the eternal hope we have in Jesus, we need to see ourselves as God’s obedient children. We refuse to adapt to the evil desires that were prominent within us before Christ redeemed and restored us into His image. Before, we could make the excuse we were ignorant, that we did not know any better. However, we can do so no longer. We have been saved by the mercy of God. We are being renewed and restored by that same grace that is on full display in the nature of God. So, it should be no surprise that we are called to holiness just as God is holy. Holiness means we have been set apart for the special purposes of God. We are like fine china or that prized article of clothing that is set apart to be used only on certain occasions. We have high value. We are no longer ordinary people. We have been redeemed by the shed blood of Jesus Christ. We have been bought at a high price. We are the sons and daughters of God. As His obedient children, we are to “live into” this new identity and image. We are to be holy in all we do. There is no such creature as a part-time Christian. We are never off duty from being God’s holy children. This is an all or nothing call that has been placed upon us.
Relate it to your life.
Do I view myself as God’s obedient child who is called to be set apart for God’s holy purposes?
Do something.
Father, help me to grasp who I am in You. Help me to see myself as Your obedient child. Help me to desire holiness in the deepest part of my being so that I can reflect You at all times in every way. Amen.
February 25-Stand Fast
Write out the Scripture.
1 Peter 1:17-19, Since you call on a Father who judges each person’s work impartially, live out your time as foreigners here in reverent fear. 18 For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors, 19 but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect.
Observe what it is saying.
Peter returns to the theme from the first verse where he spoke of Christians as exiles. Here the word foreigners is used which comes from the same root word. Whatever word we use, we are to see ourselves as temporary residents of this world. This is not our home. We are only passing through. We need to hold on lightly to all that this world provides. Because the Father will judge all persons fairly, we should live with a holy and healthy fear of the Lord. He reminds us that we are not redeemed with material things from the futile life that leads us nowhere. There is something far more valuable and precious found in Christ’s shed blood. He was the perfect, once and for all, sacrifice given to take away the sin and death that innately includes every soul. We can be confident that we will all be judged fairly based on the Father’s nature and on whether we have put our absolute trust and life in the redemption that Christ alone can provide.
Relate it to your life.
I have absolute confidence in the Father making a right judgment about me based upon my living faith in Jesus.
Do something.
Lord God, thank You for my salvation found in Jesus alone. Help me to hold on lightly to this world so that I can walk freely through it as a resident of heaven every step of the way. Amen.
February 26-Stand Fast
Write out the Scripture.
1 Peter 1:20-21, He was chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake. 21 Through him you believe in God, who raised him from the dead and glorified him, and so your faith and hope are in God.
Observe what it is saying.
Because of God’s omniscience, His all-knowing nature, God could see how life on earth would play out as He gave free will to mankind. So, even before He created the world, He had a plan in place. His own Son was chosen as God’s choice to provide salvation for the world. This, not only speaks of God’s infinite knowledge, but also of His infinite love towards His creation. He hatched a plan before He created us so that when we were created and became disobedient, we would have a way back to Him. He did that for you! It is through Jesus that we can have a confident faith in God. Because the Son of God, known as Jesus, would be born in human flesh, die, resurrect, and ascend into heaven, we believe in God’s redeeming power. As we put our full trust in this plan, in Christ Himself, we are declaring who our God is. The very God, who created life, sustains it, redeems it through Jesus, and promises it for all eternity. This is our amazing God. The God who can accomplish all things according to His will is the same God who loves us so much that He had a plan in place when we would rebel and go our own way. When John says, “For God so loved the world,” we understand how eternal and how great that love really is.
Relate it to your life.
To know that God planned my rescue before I ever needed it reveals His immense love for me.
Do something.
Lord God, You are absolutely amazing! Praise be to Your holy name for having this plan in place. Amen.
February 27-Stand Fast
Write out the Scripture.
1 Peter 1:22-23, Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for each other, love one another deeply, from the heart. 23 For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God.
Observe what it is saying.
The fruit of our redemption will show itself in our love for one another. If our love for one another does not grow, then we have to question the authenticity of our salvation. God has freely offered His saving grace through His Son, but we must wholeheartedly receive and appropriate this gift into our lives. It is more than declaring we are saved. It is a total surrender to the Lordship of Jesus over our lives that leads to our willingness to submit to His full authority. We know we are doing so when our heartfelt love for each other grows deeper and deeper. Again, as Peter said earlier, we have been born again, born anew of the living, never-ending word of God that will not perish. Its message is eternal. It is never out of date or out of touch even in our modern world. This word is more than knowledge to know. It is a word that transforms us giving us a tremendous passion to love and serve others as Jesus did for us. It beautifully marries John 3:16 with 1 John 3:16.
Relate it to your life.
I can evaluate my relationship with Jesus based on how well I am loving others.
Do something.
Oh Lord, by the power of Your Spirit, may my redemption show up in how I profoundly love others at all times. Amen.
February 28-Stand Fast
Write out the Scripture.
1 Peter 1:24-25, For, “All people are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall, 25 but the word of the Lord endures forever.” And this is the word that was preached to you.
Observe what it is saying.
Peter quotes from Isaiah 40 reminding us how perishable we all are. Just like grass and flowers, we have our season, and, then, we pass away. We need to understand the weight of our earthly mortality so that we will fully embrace the immortality of the word of the Lord. Because it was spoken by our eternal God, it lives on forever. Whatever God speaks is true and cannot be undone. God’s word spoke creation into existence. It calms storms. It still wars. It sustains life. It takes sinful people and gives them birth into a brand-new creation. When God speaks, things happen. This is the word that has been preached through the ages and is the word that has come to life in God’s glorious Son. This heavenly message redeems our souls and advances the kingdom of God throughout the earth. We can trust that every promise and prophecy uttered in Scripture will one day be fulfilled. Because this is true, we can hold on to the great hope that victory is assured for all true followers of Jesus.
Relate it to your life.
I must treasure and hold tightly to the eternal truth of God’s word for none of it will ever pass away.
Do something.
Lord God, You have always been, always will be, and are today. There is no end or beginning with You. So, it is with every word You speak. Help me to believe and hold on to Your message of life and light so that I will enjoy Your eternal pleasures forever and ever. Amen.
Write out the Scripture.
1 Peter 1:13, Therefore, with minds that are alert and fully sober, set your hope on the grace to be brought to you when Jesus Christ is revealed at his coming.
Observe what it is saying.
The first 12 verses have revealed the beauty and majesty of God’s mercy that offers a new birth and ongoing salvation. Because of this amazing grace offered and accepted by the audience to which he writes, Peter instructs us that we are to have alert minds. The wording actually means that our minds must be prepared for action. The Christian faith is both heartfelt and mindful. Serious Christians must think things out and through. To be thoughtful is to own our faith so no one or nothing can steal it away. So, it makes sense we should, also, be fully sober, having a steady mind. We cannot allow intoxicating beverages or thoughts distract or detour us from the truth-telling of the gospel. Ultimately, this gospel proclaims a living hope which can cause us to endure each day’s trials. Just as the athlete engages in the pain of rigorous practice for the hope of winning so we can endure the strain of life if we know it is all headed to a glorious destination. Peter tells us there is more grace to experience. God has an unlimited supply that is generously doled out in this life and in the coming of our Lord Jesus. We can have hope today because the best is yet to come.
Relate it to your life.
I have only tasted a sample of the grace that is yet to come when Christ appears.
Do something.
Lord Jesus, give me clear thinking to hold on to the hope that is for all who believe and trust in the life-saving message of the gospel. You have saved the best for last for all who persevere to the end. Amen.
February 24-Stand Fast
Write out the Scripture.
1 Peter 1:14-16, As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. 15 But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; 16 for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.”
Observe what it is saying.
With sober minds set on the eternal hope we have in Jesus, we need to see ourselves as God’s obedient children. We refuse to adapt to the evil desires that were prominent within us before Christ redeemed and restored us into His image. Before, we could make the excuse we were ignorant, that we did not know any better. However, we can do so no longer. We have been saved by the mercy of God. We are being renewed and restored by that same grace that is on full display in the nature of God. So, it should be no surprise that we are called to holiness just as God is holy. Holiness means we have been set apart for the special purposes of God. We are like fine china or that prized article of clothing that is set apart to be used only on certain occasions. We have high value. We are no longer ordinary people. We have been redeemed by the shed blood of Jesus Christ. We have been bought at a high price. We are the sons and daughters of God. As His obedient children, we are to “live into” this new identity and image. We are to be holy in all we do. There is no such creature as a part-time Christian. We are never off duty from being God’s holy children. This is an all or nothing call that has been placed upon us.
Relate it to your life.
Do I view myself as God’s obedient child who is called to be set apart for God’s holy purposes?
Do something.
Father, help me to grasp who I am in You. Help me to see myself as Your obedient child. Help me to desire holiness in the deepest part of my being so that I can reflect You at all times in every way. Amen.
February 25-Stand Fast
Write out the Scripture.
1 Peter 1:17-19, Since you call on a Father who judges each person’s work impartially, live out your time as foreigners here in reverent fear. 18 For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors, 19 but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect.
Observe what it is saying.
Peter returns to the theme from the first verse where he spoke of Christians as exiles. Here the word foreigners is used which comes from the same root word. Whatever word we use, we are to see ourselves as temporary residents of this world. This is not our home. We are only passing through. We need to hold on lightly to all that this world provides. Because the Father will judge all persons fairly, we should live with a holy and healthy fear of the Lord. He reminds us that we are not redeemed with material things from the futile life that leads us nowhere. There is something far more valuable and precious found in Christ’s shed blood. He was the perfect, once and for all, sacrifice given to take away the sin and death that innately includes every soul. We can be confident that we will all be judged fairly based on the Father’s nature and on whether we have put our absolute trust and life in the redemption that Christ alone can provide.
Relate it to your life.
I have absolute confidence in the Father making a right judgment about me based upon my living faith in Jesus.
Do something.
Lord God, thank You for my salvation found in Jesus alone. Help me to hold on lightly to this world so that I can walk freely through it as a resident of heaven every step of the way. Amen.
February 26-Stand Fast
Write out the Scripture.
1 Peter 1:20-21, He was chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake. 21 Through him you believe in God, who raised him from the dead and glorified him, and so your faith and hope are in God.
Observe what it is saying.
Because of God’s omniscience, His all-knowing nature, God could see how life on earth would play out as He gave free will to mankind. So, even before He created the world, He had a plan in place. His own Son was chosen as God’s choice to provide salvation for the world. This, not only speaks of God’s infinite knowledge, but also of His infinite love towards His creation. He hatched a plan before He created us so that when we were created and became disobedient, we would have a way back to Him. He did that for you! It is through Jesus that we can have a confident faith in God. Because the Son of God, known as Jesus, would be born in human flesh, die, resurrect, and ascend into heaven, we believe in God’s redeeming power. As we put our full trust in this plan, in Christ Himself, we are declaring who our God is. The very God, who created life, sustains it, redeems it through Jesus, and promises it for all eternity. This is our amazing God. The God who can accomplish all things according to His will is the same God who loves us so much that He had a plan in place when we would rebel and go our own way. When John says, “For God so loved the world,” we understand how eternal and how great that love really is.
Relate it to your life.
To know that God planned my rescue before I ever needed it reveals His immense love for me.
Do something.
Lord God, You are absolutely amazing! Praise be to Your holy name for having this plan in place. Amen.
February 27-Stand Fast
Write out the Scripture.
1 Peter 1:22-23, Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for each other, love one another deeply, from the heart. 23 For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God.
Observe what it is saying.
The fruit of our redemption will show itself in our love for one another. If our love for one another does not grow, then we have to question the authenticity of our salvation. God has freely offered His saving grace through His Son, but we must wholeheartedly receive and appropriate this gift into our lives. It is more than declaring we are saved. It is a total surrender to the Lordship of Jesus over our lives that leads to our willingness to submit to His full authority. We know we are doing so when our heartfelt love for each other grows deeper and deeper. Again, as Peter said earlier, we have been born again, born anew of the living, never-ending word of God that will not perish. Its message is eternal. It is never out of date or out of touch even in our modern world. This word is more than knowledge to know. It is a word that transforms us giving us a tremendous passion to love and serve others as Jesus did for us. It beautifully marries John 3:16 with 1 John 3:16.
Relate it to your life.
I can evaluate my relationship with Jesus based on how well I am loving others.
Do something.
Oh Lord, by the power of Your Spirit, may my redemption show up in how I profoundly love others at all times. Amen.
February 28-Stand Fast
Write out the Scripture.
1 Peter 1:24-25, For, “All people are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall, 25 but the word of the Lord endures forever.” And this is the word that was preached to you.
Observe what it is saying.
Peter quotes from Isaiah 40 reminding us how perishable we all are. Just like grass and flowers, we have our season, and, then, we pass away. We need to understand the weight of our earthly mortality so that we will fully embrace the immortality of the word of the Lord. Because it was spoken by our eternal God, it lives on forever. Whatever God speaks is true and cannot be undone. God’s word spoke creation into existence. It calms storms. It still wars. It sustains life. It takes sinful people and gives them birth into a brand-new creation. When God speaks, things happen. This is the word that has been preached through the ages and is the word that has come to life in God’s glorious Son. This heavenly message redeems our souls and advances the kingdom of God throughout the earth. We can trust that every promise and prophecy uttered in Scripture will one day be fulfilled. Because this is true, we can hold on to the great hope that victory is assured for all true followers of Jesus.
Relate it to your life.
I must treasure and hold tightly to the eternal truth of God’s word for none of it will ever pass away.
Do something.
Lord God, You have always been, always will be, and are today. There is no end or beginning with You. So, it is with every word You speak. Help me to believe and hold on to Your message of life and light so that I will enjoy Your eternal pleasures forever and ever. Amen.
Posted in Daily Devotionals