EXPAND TO READ: 1 PETER 2 (HCSB)
PERSONAL JOURNAL:
SIN (verse 1): I see today You chose to convict me right off the bat in this chapter. I need spiritual convictions in my life, Father, so I thank You so much for hitting me right from the get-go with it. You tell us that we are to rid ourselves of all malice, deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander. I have lived in all of these at some point in my spiritual journey, and even to an extent today. I do struggle with envy at times because I see other believers living far more “luxurious” lives than I am, even though I am a very hard worker. I do struggle with slander at times, because I see other believers sometimes “getting away” with things that my flesh wants me to do, but I know You do not want me to do it. Help me with these struggles of mine, Father. Help me to be better at putting aside and letting go of my fleshly ways in this life, so that all things I do are for You. Help me to stop comparing my life to others, because the only comparison I should be making is whether You are satisfied and pleased with what I am doing or not. Help me to be a more Godly man in this life, Father, so that these struggles become far less frequent as I progress and mature in my spiritual journey.
PROMISE (verse 9): I love this promise so much. You promise us that we are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for Your possession. You promise us all of this because You want us to proclaim the praises of You who called us out of the darkness and into Your marvelous light! Help me to truly embrace this promise, Father. Help me to realize the true promise that You have blessed me with by understanding, embracing, and walking in this life as a chosen one, as a royal priest, as part of Your holy nation, and as a prized possession of Yours. I do struggle at times with my identity, but in this one verse You bring clarity on a portion of my identity. I am valuable to You and that is what matters most. I must remember that my value does not reside in this world but in Your kingdom through eternity.
ATTITUDE (verses 19-20): I do understand that You want me to do good in this life, but I do struggle with remaining in those good works when things become extremely difficult or when there’s a lot of criticism or negativity in the world on the topic. In these verses, however, You tell me to live in an attitude of endurance. You tell me that if I suffer for doing Your good works, then this brings favor with You. You tell me that there is no “credit” given if I were to suffer for my own sins and am punished for my sinful nature. That’s just the punishment that’s owed to me for my sinful nature. If I am punished for Your good works, however, then that is me doing something that You have blessed that the world doesn’t agree with due to their own sinful nature. Remind me that the world is not the one who I need to please; You are. Remind me that the world is just as broken and even more so in some cases than I am, so how can they judge me for my actions if those actions are dictated from You? Remind me constantly that it is Your will that should be done in this life and not my own nor the world’s. Help me to be better at walking in an attitude of endurance in this life, Father, no matter what the world may say towards me.
COMMAND (verses 11-17): Instead of a “call to good works” I feel the person who labelled this portion of the letter should have called it a “Call to Submission.” If we truly submit to Your will for our lives, then we are doing all of the things outlined in these verses. You command us to abstain from fleshly desires that war against us. You command us to conduct ourselves honorably amongst the Gentiles. You call us to submit to every human authority. You call us to be slaves to You and to live as free people in this world, but to not use this freedom as a way to conceal evil. You call us to honor everyone, love the brotherhood, fear God, and to Honor those appointed over us. All of these commands deal with submission, which I have been horrible at in my personal life. Please help me to truly understand the meaning behind this submission, Father, but also to embrace a life of submission to You throughout all aspects of my life. Help me to be better at living my life in a way that follows these commands fully instead of giving into my fleshly and worldly ways so often.
EXAMPLE (verses 2-3): I really love this example You provide to me. When babies are born, they are fully content by their mother’s milk and actually yearn for it. I need to live out my faith in this way as well, as a newborn baby yearning for the milk of Truth from my Father in Heaven. As You stated in verse 3, I have tasted that the Lord is good. Why do I struggle so much with immaturity, rebellion, and regression in my faith when I have tasted Your kingdom and found it to always be good? Why do I give into my fleshly desires when I know that the Spiritual ways of my life have produced FAR greater fruits than anything my flesh desires? Help me to live in this example in my Spiritual journey, Father, as a newborn baby yearning for the Righteous milk of salvation that only You can provide.
*DAILY NOTE: You really had Peter go all out in this chapter, Father. He hits so many points and aspects of our Spiritual journey. He hits so many convictions. He provides so many valuable examples to live by. He sheds light on so many promises, truths, and commands that You have for us. Thank You so much for the insight You’ve provided me in our conversation today, Father. Thank You for providing me with so many convictions, lessons, and great counsel to take into my life for the purpose of maturing in my Spiritual journey. I ask that You continue to push me in Your direction. I ask that You continue to give me reminders that You are with me through all things, especially when I am weak and wanting to give into my fleshly desires. I ask that You always show me Your strength for me to be able to endure what this life throws at me. Thank You for always being there for me, Father, even though I have not always yearned for You in the way that a newborn baby yearns for their mother’s milk.
EXPAND TO READ: GENERAL NOTE FOR MY QUIET TIMES
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