1 Peter 5:6-7 Under God's Mighty Hand - Devotional Scripture

 

Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you. 1 Peter 5:6-7

When we humble ourselves under God we are brought low or made low.  A woman who was praying with her husband felt the need to be under her husband, to be made low.  As they began to pray she positioned herself a little lower than her husband.  As her husband prayed he began to take a lower and lower stance so the wife took a lower and lower stance.  By the end of the prayer the wife was prostrate on the floor in an effort to be made low under her husband. That is what humbling ourselves under God's mighty hand looks like.  It is constantly remembering He is God and His ways are above our ways.  In our minds eye we are to position ourselves, to be brought low, under God.

In Peter's day the believers were going through a lot of suffering. These trials, though they were not sent by God, were permitted by Him. Peter tells them and us to submit to God’s plan and He will sustain us. He knows the "due time" to lift us up.

We are commanded to cast all our anxieties upon Him. To cast something takes some effort and energy. You have to throw it away from you. The pressures and the burdens of our lives can be so heavy that it takes great concentration and effort to cast them on God.  We can cast all of those things that are concerning us on Him because we know He loves us and cares about us.  In opposition, worry denies the love of God; it says He does not care. And it denies the power of God; it says that He isn't able to deliver me from whatever is causing me to worry.

The truth is God loves you. His eyes are fixed on you. Don’t doubt that love just because you are going through suffering.  He loves you just as much in the trials of life as He does during the good times of life.

1 Peter 4:19 Commit Your Soul - Devotional Scripture

 

Therefore let those who suffer according to the will of God commit their souls to Him in doing good, as to a faithful Creator.  1 Peter 4:19

The word "commit" is a term that would be used for leaving money on deposit with a trusted friend. It is the very word Jesus used when He said,

 Father, into Your hands I commit My spirit.     Luke 23:46

So much of the agony we put ourselves through in times of trial and suffering has to do with our unbelief that God is a faithful Creator.

We wonder anxiously, will I make it through this trial?  How is this going to turn out?  What is going to happen next?  In those moments it’s very important not to forget that your hope is not in figuring it all out somehow or in finding rest in your own understanding.  Your hope is in one thing and that is in your Creator and Savior who holds all things in His hands.  The One who holds the world together holds you by His grace. The One who owns all things has the power to supply all that you need to go through what He is calling you to go through. It is only reasonable that we should entrust ourselves to the One who made our souls and who saved them.

I saw the movie War Room last weekend.  It had a great example of resting in our faithful Creator. In the movie, Elizabeth’s world is crumbling around her and she has become bitter and angry at her husband.  She meets Clara who tells her to fight the real enemy, which is not her husband. She needs to fight this battle on her knees in prayer and she needs to stand on the promises of God.  When her husband arrives home one night he is expecting another fight but instead Elizabeth is calm and at peace.  He is really confused by her actions.  He finally asks her what she wants and Elizabeth has to think about it for a minute and then she responds, “A hot fudge sundae, with two scoops of ice cream, and whip cream, lots of whip cream and a cherry on top.”  She had committed her soul to the faithful Creator.  She wasn’t anxious about her circumstances.  She wasn’t dwelling on what might happen next.  All she was thinking about was ice cream with whip cream and a cherry on top.

God’s grace frees us from anxiety, doubt and despair.  He made you and He made the situations and the challenges and all the people that are around you. We need only to take our concerns to him in prayer and trust in His promises.  Then, we can spend the rest of the day thinking about hot fudge sundaes with whip cream and a cherry on top.

1 Peter 4:10 Use Of Spritual Gifts - Devotional Scripture

 

As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. 1 Peter 4:10

 Every believer has been given a least one spiritual gift.  This was given to you by the grace of God. You didn’t earn it.  It’s free. Paul said it best;

But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain; but I labored more abundantly than they all, yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.  1 Cor. 15:10

The reason God gives us spiritual gifts is to serve and profit others. They are not given to us for our own good pleasure.  They are meant to run through us as through a pipe. Therefore, it’s not enough to know your spiritual gift.  You need to use those gifts for the glory of God. He chose what gifts to give you.  Don’t compare your gift to another. Every part of the body is important; each has its job to do.

God takes the gifts of many people to change you and me. Your gifts take the word of God, the truth of God and the love of God to show me the kindness of Christ and that changes me. God uses you as a paint brush, as one of his tools, to write the word of God in the lives of other people.

A steward is responsible for another’s resources. Stewards had no wealth of their own, but distributed the Master’s wealth according to the Master’s will and direction. If we are bad stewards of the gifts God has bestowed on us, then that grace is wasted, because it only comes to us, and doesn't move through us.

As stewards, we will be held responsible for what we did with the gifts God has given us. There is a day when I will stand before the Bema Seat of Christ and I will be judged.  This is not a judgment for salvation.  That’s taken care of at the Cross.  But I will be judged as a believer for my rewards.  At that time God will ask me, “What did you do with what I gave you? I created you for good works in which I prepared for you in advance (Eph. 2:10). Did you use your gifts for those good works?”   

Luke 9:23-24 Take Up Your Cross - Devotional Scripture

 Then He said to them all, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it. Luke 9:23-24

Taking up your cross is something you choose to do. It's not something that has happened to you.  It doesn’t mean suffering in a strained relationship, physical illness or anything that might have been done against you.  It’s a choice to deny yourself.  It’s a determination that, no matter what, you’ll stand for Jesus.  Taking up your cross involves the total submission of your will, your passions and desires to God’s will. Jesus was our perfect example.  Jesus carried His cross to Calvary and He was obedient unto death (Phil. 2:5).  He surrender His will for His Father’s will,

Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done Luke 22:42

The cross was the ultimate act of obedience. In the biggest struggle of his life -the cross- Jesus surrendered His will to God’s will.

The reward for denying yourself far outweighs the cost. The more we let go of ourselves, the happier we will be. The more you give yourself away, the richer you’ll be.  The key is to come after Jesus, follow Him and believe on Him, deny your pride, your sinful nature and obey Him.  He didn’t say this to torture or torment us. He said it to liberate us and bless us. 

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.