1 Peter 3:3-4 Precious In His Sight - Devotional Scripture

Do not let your adornment be merely outward—arranging the hair, wearing gold, or putting on fine apparel—  rather let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God.   1 Peter 3:3-4

Real beauty comes from the hidden person of the heart. It isn't something you wear or fuss over. It is something you are. The inner beauty of a godly woman is incorruptible.  It doesn’t decay or get worse with age.  Instead, it only gets better with age. These holy women made themselves beautiful by trusting in God and as a result they developed an inner beauty of a gentle and quiet sprit. Peter wasn’t forbidding outward adornment.  Instead he was warning us to keep things in perspective and remember that which is seen is temporal (2 Cor 4:18).  Peter is saying that if we don’t have a gentle and quiet spirit no amount of jewelry, cosmetics or fine clothing will give us inner beauty.

A gentle and quiet spirit does not describe a woman who is timid and shy. This is no weak woman but a very strong and capable woman. This is a woman that faces opportunities to react in anger or get upset but she has chosen to be controlled, forgiving and gentle.

The word quiet in this text means a woman that knows how to calm herself and maintain a state of peace and tranquility. Rather than speak up and utter words that are later regretted, this woman stays quiet and refrains from angry responses. She deliberately decides to not be a contributor to conflicts but to be a peace maker instead.  This is a woman that keeps a lid on her emotions and is a stable and tranquil force in every situation.  God sees this type of woman as rare and very precious in His sight.  He loves when we put aside our own anger or emotions and instead help peace to rule in the situation.  God thinks very highly of such a woman.

1 Peter 1:22 A Purified Heart - Devotional Scripture

Since you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit in sincere love of the brethren, love one another fervently with a pure heart. 1 Peter 1:22

When we obey the Word of God it purifies our heart. Peter suggests that by obeying the truth, which is a choice we make, we take part in purifying our souls.  And as we do this we learn to love others in a way beyond what we could otherwise accomplish.

The obedience to the Word of God has a purifying power that removes all obstacles that get in the way of brotherly love.  When the Word and the Spirit of God penetrates our being, we “dry bones” come to life. This happens in any area of your life where there are dry bones. The power is in the Word itself.  It is a seed, an incorruptible seed that will not return void.

Our obedience is the fruit that shows that our faith is alive. That doesn’t mean we always obey. But as a Christian, we cannot habitually live in disobedience to God. We may have an area that will trip us up. But at some point we will confess, repent and come back to God.

One of the primary goals of our salvation is that we might show sincere love to fellow believers. This love is to be "the real thing".  We are not simply to be "playing the part" but we are to show a love which is completely genuine, without pretense or deceit. When we allow the Holy Spirit to do His work in our hearts we find we don’t not have to “play the part” because His love shines through us. It is on our face and in our actions.

 

1 Peter 2:11 Just Passing Through - Devotional Scripture

 

Beloved, I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul.  1 Peter 2:11

Peter is writing to suffering believers who live in a pagan environment.  Peter begs them, he pleads with them to hear the cry of his heart: “Abstain from fleshly lusts that war against your soul.” Fleshly lust refers to any strong desire that is inconsistent with the will of God. It would include over-indulgence in food or drink, the desire to collect material possessions and the craving for any worldly pleasures. All these things hinder communion with God and prevent spiritual growth.

In times of difficulty we can be tempted to say, “Why shouldn’t I give into my flesh.  Everybody else is doing it.” But Peter warns the, “Be careful, you are vulnerable.  Even though things are tough don’t give in to your fleshly desires.”  To be a Christian means to fight against the lusts of the flesh, and the battle continues as long as we live in this flesh. The best way to fight against these lusts is by remembering who we are in Christ.

We need to remember our citizenship is in heaven. This life is nothing more than a morning fog that is here for a little while and then it’s gone. We are just tent camping here. We are just passing through on our way to our final destination. Because we are just passing through, we can’t allow ourselves to become attached to things of this world.  Soon, we will break camp and move onward so we can’t dig our roots deep into this world but instead we need to be rooted in Christ.   We have to keep in the forefront of our mind that this home is just temporary.  Our permanent home is waiting for us in heaven.  Therefore, we set our mind on things above and not earthly things (Col 3:2) and with that mindset we are able to abstain from fleshly lusts.

1 Peter 1:6-9 Inexpressible Joy - Deovotional Scripture

 In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials,  that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ,  whom having not seen you love. Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory,  receiving the end of your faith—the salvation of your souls. 1 Peter 1:6-9

Trails test your faith to show if it is genuine.  True faith is indestructible.  Severe tests and trials do not destroy true faith but instead it strengthens our faith and deepens our love for God. Job who endured many trials said,

 Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him. Job 13:15

Job did not understand any of his situations and felt that God was against him but he could still proclaim: yet I will trust Him. Job refused to forfeit what he knew to be true in the midst of his testing. It is one thing to believe God and it’s another thing to believe in Him.  To believe in Him signifies complete reliance, complete surrender and complete trust in His promises even when we don’t understand your circumstances.

When you have walked through a fiery trial and have come out with true, strong faith, you have a deeper love and trust for God and you have inexpressible joy.  There are no words that can describe this type of joy.  Your joy is no longer dependent on your circumstances but on Jesus Christ, Him crucified and the promise of His return. It is no more possible to rob a true believer of her joy than it is to unseat Christ from His place of glory. The two stand together. Abiding in Jesus and accepting His Lordship in your life brings you a joy that is indescribable and cannot be taken away.

1 Peter 1:10-12 Angels Gaze Down in Wonder - Devotional Scripture

 This salvation was something even the prophets wanted to know more about when they prophesied about this gracious salvation prepared for you. 11 They wondered what time or situation the Spirit of Christ within them was talking about when he told them in advance about Christ’s suffering and his great glory afterward. 1 Peter 1:10-11 (NLT)

The prophets didn't really understand all of the things that they wrote regarding the Messiah. When Daniel was trying to understand some of the things he was writing about; the Lord just said, “Daniel, just seal it up. It's not for now. It's for the future. And in the last days, knowledge will be increased. They'll understand it then” (Daniel 12:8-9). The old prophets were inspired by the Spirit of God to foretell the sufferings of Jesus even though they themselves did not understand them.   Imagine Isaiah, Jeremiah and Zechariah writing down these prophesies.  They must have been thinking, “What in the world am I writing here? This doesn't make sense.” The Old Testament prophets knew so much; yet much was hidden to them. They searched diligently trying to understand them but they were not written for them at that time.

They were told that their messages were not for themselves, but for you. And now this Good News has been announced to you by those who preached in the power of the Holy Spirit sent from heaven. It is all so wonderful that even the angels are eagerly watching these things happen.  1 Peter 1:12 (NLT)

They were written for us.  These great prophets were raised up for you and me so we would have a book that revealed the grace of God, the mercy of God and His the plan for our salvation. The prophets of the Old Testament longed to see the grace of the New Covenant. I can only imagine how excited Isaiah would have been to read the Gospel of John.

 
We are so privileged to live on this side of the cross.  We have what the prophets did not and we enjoy what angels desire to see. The angels stand gazing down at us trying to understand the wondrous mystery of redemption.  They look at you and me in say, “What does this mean that God has chosen these people to be His family?”

Matthew 5:5 An Attitude of Meekness - Devotional Scripture

Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.  Matt. 5:5

The Beatitudes is a list of attitudes that should be found in every believer.  One of these characteristics is meekness.

Meekness is power under control.  It is power that doesn’t strike back and doesn’t react and doesn’t fight against God or man. In meekness we stop and realizes that God is the Creator and He is the ruler over everything.  And because I know that I can rest in Him and trust in Him  I can allow God to govern me rather than the circumstances or the situations or the people that are around me.” Meekness is submission of our thoughts, our ways, and our evaluations of a situation to God.

When I try to be strong in my own might, when I try to take care of the situations, or manipulate them,  When I try to make things work out the way that I think they ought to work out, then I am not walking in meekness and it wears me out. Meekness is putting yourself in a yoke with God and knowing that God is stronger than you and He’s able to pull the load so the load comes off of your shoulders because you’re resting in the Lord.

The meek do not fret but the meek wait upon the Lord. The meek cry out to God. They mourn over sin. Blessed are the meek, those that submit to God, and those that become pliable in His hands, those that allow God to mold them and shape them in every circumstance of life because they will inherit the earth.

Luke 4:6-8 There Are No Shortcuts - Devotional Scripture

After Jesus was baptized he was led by the Spirit into the wilderness where he was tempted by the devil for 40 days. His second temptation was that Satan offered to give him the kingdoms of this world in an exchange for a moment of worship.

And the devil said to Him, “All this authority I will give You, and their glory; for this has been delivered to me, and I give it to whomever I wish. Therefore, if  You will worship before me, all will be Yours.”              Luke 4:6-7

Because of man's sin, Satan has become the ruler of this world. Satan was offering Jesus the kingdoms of this world without having to go to the cross.  God’s plan for Jesus was for Him to suffer first and then enter His glory. Satan offered him a way out of the suffering.

And Jesus answered and said to him, “Get behind Me, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only you shall serve.’"         Luke 4:8

When I hear this verse it reminds me of the times that I have wanted to take the easy way out. I’ve want to take a shortcut to righteousness and skip the suffering. I didn’t want to go through the fiery trials of this life, but that is not God’s plan.  Jesus said, in this world you will have troubles but don’t let them discourage you, don’t let them derail you and don’t let them take away your peace (John 16:33).  Instead rejoice because these trials are producing something wonderful.  When we go through a trial and choose to worship and serve God alone then our trials produces Christlikeness in us which helps us to become a  more mature, well-rounded Christians who lacks nothing (James 1:2-5).

There is no shortcut around suffering.  Satan might tempt you to believe there is an easy way out but don’t buy into his lies.  Instead, keep your eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of your faith, and worship and serve Him only and He will bring you through the trial and you will be stronger in your faith for it.