Be Hopeful (1 Peter 1:1)

SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 11-24-03

 

My Worship Time                                                                  Focus:  Be Hopeful

 

Bible Reading & Meditation                                     Reference:  1Peter 1:1

 

            Message of the verse:  “Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to the strangers scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia,” (AV) “This letter is from Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ. I am writing to God’s chosen people who are living as foreigners in the lands of Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, the province of Asia, and Bithynia.”  (NLT)

            Dr. Wiersbe’s book on Peter is “Be Hopeful.”  Hope is one of the themes that run throughout this letter by Peter.  Suffering and grace also run through this letter and they are all mentioned in 5:10.  “And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.” 

      Peter is the same person in the Gospels who was first named Simon, but Jesus changed it to Peter, or Cephas in the Aramaic.  Many times he is called Simon Peter and it has been suggested that this could refer to the two natures of him.  Peter was the apostle to the Jewish peoples, and Paul was the apostle to the gentiles.  Ephesians 2:19-20 explains, “The Apostles and prophets worked together to lay the foundation of the church (Eph. 2:20); and, once that foundation was laid, they passed off the scene. There are no apostles and prophets in the New Testament sense in the church today.” 

Peter wrote to those who were strangers who were scattered throughout what is modern day Turkey.  The word “scattered” refers to those who were Jews and lived in places other than Israel.  Dr. Wiersbe says that Peter’s letter was probably written to Gentiles too along with Jewish people.

Dr. Wiersbe says that there are two theme verses in 1Peter; 1:3 and 5:12.  “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,” (1Peter 1:3).  “Through Silvanus, our faithful brother (for so I regard him), I have written to you briefly, exhorting and testifying that this is the true grace of God. Stand firm in it!”  (1Peter 5:12)

 

            Spiritual meaning for my life today:  I look forward to seeing what the Lord will teach me as I study 1Peter.  One thing seems certain and that is true believers will one day soon began to suffer for their faith and 1Peter is a letter which encourages those who will suffer for the cause of Christ.

 

The Word of God was insightful to me as I read it today.

 

My Steps of Faith Today:  I continue to seek help and confront from the Lord as I am being prepared to give testimony to My Awesome God.  I want to lay hold of what Christ has laid hold of me for.