2 Peter 1: From Simon Peter, a servant and apostle
of Jesus Christ—
To those who through the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ have been given a faith as precious as ours:
2 May grace and peace be yours in full measure through your
knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.
============
After leaving
court, I got my driver’s license back. I had exceeded the maximum number of
speeding tickets that year and had to get my license reinstated. Since that
pressure was over, I decided to celebrate. I threw the usual party and made the
theme, “Able to Drive Again!”
- I made any excuse to hold a party.
- Having a group of people with loud music, laughter and drinks, temporarily reduced the pain of reality.
- Monday would arrive every week and I had to face whatever situation I was trying to escape from.
Peter writes
another letter. This time he addressed it to a broader audience of believers
which included Gentile believers. His opening statement was a small prayer for
everyone to receive grace and peace in “full measure.”
My Observations:
- My sinful efforts bring temporary relief, BUT knowing GOD gives me peace that I don’t understand.
- Vacations, celebrations, and parties seem like a nice escape, BUT knowing JESUS gives me grace that sustains me during difficult times.
- Getting to know about GOD and the SON of GOD is worth the work, because it shows me grace and peace that is different than the world’s temporary, pleasure filled approach.
Indulgence is
temporary, BUT GOD is forever. I mean, avoiding the “bad” situation for a
moment of pleasure can sometimes make things worse for me. Bad decision after
bad decision during my pursuit of pleasure can sometimes leave me with more
problems that pleasure can’t fix. BUT GOD has a different way.
GOD wants me to get
to know who HE is so I will not fall into a trap of blaming HIM or
misunderstanding who HE is. Getting to know about JESUS shows me how much I a
really loved. I am glad I can receive grace and peace in spite of my bad
thoughts of who GOD is. I receive HIS love by learning about HIM.
Challenge
- What sticks out to you in the writer’s greeting?
- Are you trying to pursue grace and peace through the world’s methods?
- Will you pursue a relationship with JESUS by getting to know HIM so you can receive grace and peace that rises above all of your situations today?
No comments:
Post a Comment