EXPAND TO READ: 1 PETER 1 (HCSB)
PERSONAL JOURNAL:
SIN (verses 8-9): Although I am a firm believer in Jesus Christ and have accepted Him into my heart as my Lord and Savior, these verses do convict me a bit. I have struggled a bit in my faith with being fully satisfied in the fact that my eternal salvation is kind of the “big goal” of my faith. What I mean with my struggle is that I do sometimes struggle with receiving stuff in the “now” instead of when I return to You. I struggle in my faith with a return on my works in the now just as I receive at work and such. I know that this is because of me still living in my flesh at times instead of living in my new, born-again identity which is obviously not what You expect of me. Please forgive me for bringing my fleshly expectations into my faith, Father. Help me to be better in my faith at being fully satisfied with eternal salvation as my goal and return on my faith as that is what’s truly important. Thank You for my eternal salvation, Father. I just need to now be better at no longer living in my fleshly and worldly ways in this life.
PROMISE (verses 24-25): I love these verses as it gives me an amazing mind-picture of Your promise here. You say that our flesh is like grass, which withers away over time, but that Your word endures forever. I have found this so true simply from building my relationship with You and through our quiet times together. Your word, although it is thousands of years old, still applies even today! It truly does endure forever and applies to my life even today. Thank You so much for providing me with Your timeless and always enduring Word in my life, Father. Thank You for also giving me more understanding and comprehension of Your Word in today’s society, Father.
ATTITUDE (verses 15-16): You tell us here that just as Jesus is called to be Holy, so are we in all of our conduct. You tell us to “be holy, because I am holy.” I do struggle with this in my day-to-day life. Oftentimes I do things out of the flesh or what the world expects of me instead of walking in the Spirit and walking with an attitude like Jesus, being Holy. Help me to be better at embracing a holy attitude in my life, Father, so that I may reflect Jesus’ holiness in all of my conduct. When I walk in this life, I do not want Filip to show to others, rather I want Jesus to be shown through me, through my conduct, through my actions, and through my words. Help me embrace this attitude fully, so that more of Jesus and less of me is shown to this world.
COMMAND (verse 13): I find this as a very valuable command…actually probably two commands in one kind of. The first is that we are to always keep our minds ready for action. The second is that we are to be serious and set our hope completely on the grace to be brought to us at the revelation of Jesus. I do struggle quite a bit in my faith with keeping my mind ready for action. I do struggle at times with being serious in my faith and setting my hope completely on Your grace, Father. This is not what You’ve commanded me to do and I am sorry for my immaturity and disobedience at times. Please help me to be better prepared in my faith, Father, so that I can stand firm in these commands daily.
EXAMPLE (verses 6-9): I really do love this example You’ve provide about my faith and salvation. You say that although I am struggling in some various trials in this life, that they are to produce a stronger version of me through and for my faith. My faith, unlike Your original followers, is not produced or matured through what I have seen. Rather, I believe in Jesus and have not seen Him in-person in the flesh. I have received salvation through this unseen belief instead of like some of the original followers receiving their salvation and faith through what they had witnessed directly from Jesus Himself. Thank You for providing me changes to my heart and mind through my faith, Father, as this has been a strong driving force for my faith and I am so grateful for all You have done.
*DAILY NOTE: It seems that Peter speaks to me similar to how Paul speaks to me. You had him write these letters in ways that speak quite loudly and clearly to my heart. Thank You for today’s lesson, Father. Thank You for providing me clarity on my faith and what goal my heart should be set on—my eternal salvation through Jesus and Your grace. Thank You for the amazing examples provided to me today as well. Knowing that all of this world withers away but Your Word endures forever is an amazing example that I am witness to as Your Word still speaks to me thousands of years after it was written. You are timeless, endless, and merciful throughout everything You have done for me, Father, and I am so grateful. Thank you!
EXPAND TO READ: GENERAL NOTE FOR MY QUIET TIMES
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