I Can Do No Other



Prayer: Lift up your heads, ye mighty gates!
                   Behold, the King of glory waits.

         The King of kings is drawing near; The Savior of the world is here.
         Life and salvation He doth bring; Therefore rejoice and gladly sing.
         To God the Father raise Your joyful songs of praise.



Read: 1 Peter 3:8–17

http://www.esvbible.org/1 Peter 3:8-17


Think about It: When we ponder God’s mercy in the face of our overwhelming need there are several wonderful outcomes not the least of which is that we become more merciful ourselves. Peter expounds upon this principle as he writes his letter to the persecuted church.

     Peter writes to the Church over 30 years after Jesus has died and been resurrected. By this point in history, the church is under great attack. The Roman government is not favorably disposed toward God’s people and seeks to eradicate Christianity from the globe. In the face of this suffering Peter reminds the Church to hold onto their mercy. He reminds all of us that we have been given a gift of immeasurable worth and one of our responses should be to act with that same mercy to those around us – even as we are under attack. Peter even tells us what that life of mercy looks like. It is embodied by unity, harmony, sympathy, and humility. An impressive list of attributes but totally worth striving toward for each one of us.

     The impact of this witness to the world of a life lived in this way cannot be overstated. We are surrounded by a culture that is completely self-seeking. When the non-believing world gives us avarice, greed, pride, and idolatry, what impact can Peter’s admonition have on us and those we talk to each day? Humility and sympathy are always attractive and serve to speak loudly to the world even if there is never a single word voiced. Of course we are going to fail. None of us can successfully put aside our sin-filled ways that look more like the world than like the Kingdom of God. That is why Jesus came into the world. He takes away the sting of our sin and restores us to His side. That is when we reassert our willingness to let Jesus live through us rather than allowing our flesh to take control. Once again the people in our lives see that humility and compassion showing through and that is winsome for the Kingdom.



Prayer: A righteous Helper comes to thee; His chariot is humility,

             His kingly crown is holiness, His scepter, pity in distress.
             The end of all our woe He brings;
             Therefore the earth is glad and sings.

             To Christ the Savior raise Your grateful hymns of praise.
Lift Up Your Heads, Ye Mighty Gates – LSB 340

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Excusez-moi

Image
2 Kings 23:31-37 31 Jehoahaz was twenty-three years old when he began to reign, and he reigned three months in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Hamutal the daughter of Jeremiah of Libnah. 32 And he did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, according to all that his fathers had done. 33 And Pharaoh Neco put him in bonds at Riblah in the land of Hamath, that he might not reign in Jerusalem, and laid on the land a tribute of a hundred talents of silver and a talent of gold. 34 And Pharaoh Neco made Eliakim the son of Josiah king in the place of Josiah his father, and changed his name to Jehoiakim. But he took Jehoahaz away, and he came to Egypt and died there. 35 And Jehoiakim gave the silver and the gold to Pharaoh, but he taxed the land to give the money according to the command of Pharaoh. He exacted the silver and the gold of the people of the land, from everyone according to his assessment, to give it to Pharaoh Neco. 36 Jehoiakim was twenty-fiv
Read more

יהוה שָׁמַר--Yahweh Shamar (God Watches)

Image
Psalm 121 1 I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? 2 My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth. 3 He will not let your foot be moved; he who keeps you will not slumber. 4 Behold, he who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. 5 The Lord is your keeper; the Lord is your shade on your right hand. 6 The sun shall not strike you by day, nor the moon by night. 7 The Lord will keep you from all evil; he will keep your life. 8 The Lord will keep your going out and your coming in from this time forth and forevermore. There are numerous passages I cling to when stress takes over my life. I would be hard pressed to declare a favorite, but this psalm would come close. So this morning I listened to Psalm 121 about 20 times as I meditated through the verses. First, I want to point out that the word or idea of shamar appears in every verse expect 6. The NIV uses the word "watch" while the ESV uses "keep". The
Read more

Narrow Door

Image
Luke 13:22-30 22 He went on his way through towns and villages, teaching and journeying toward Jerusalem. 23 And someone said to him, “Lord, will those who are saved be few?” And he said to them , 24 “Strive to enter through the narrow door. For many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able. 25 When once the master of the house has risen and shut the door, and you begin to stand outside and to knock at the door, saying, ‘Lord, open to us,’ then he will answer you, ‘I do not know where you come from.’ 26 Then you will begin to say, ‘We ate and drank in your presence, and you taught in our streets.’ 27 But he will say, ‘I tell you, I do not know where you come from. Depart from me, all you workers of evil!’ 28 In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God but you yourselves cast out. 29 And people will come from east and west, and from north and south, and recline at tabl
Read more