“For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God. For, ‘All people are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of the Lord endures forever.’”
– 1 Peter 1:23-25
Though it took him a while to understand and believe it, Peter ultimately realized that Jesus came to save everyone, including pagan Gentiles. So greatly did his thinking shift that he became pastor to the church in Rome. In fact, when he wrote the book of 1 Peter, he was sitting in a Roman prison cell — in chains for his faith and concerned about the ongoing persecution of his flock at the hands of the evil emperor Nero. Fabled in history and known as one of the most volatile and violent rulers ever to have lived, Nero had it out for Christians. Though rumor has it that he burned down a large portion of the city himself because he wanted to build a giant swimming pool, he decided to blame believers instead. Calling the church a cult and claiming that they were atheists because they didn’t believe in him as “god,” he killed thousands of them in sheer brutality. Such a horrible massacre must have been gut-wrenching for Peter to watch, because as their overseer and shepherd, he felt a responsibility to protect and encourage them. And 1 Peter, his initial letter to his flock, was an effort to do just that. By reminding his precious congregation that they were living stones whose souls were being constructed into something much greater than the sum of their parts, he gave them — and all of us — a gift. By declaring timeless eternal truths, he invites us to remember that regardless of how chaotic or uncertain things become around us, our story is not written at the will and whim of any human being. Our days are determined by God alone, and nothing takes Him by surprise. My friend, the pain of loss is horrible, and the uncertainty of a shifting world is troubling, but when human fragility is weighing on you heavily, remember that you are imperishable! Your Savior is the author and perfecter of your faith, and His eternal hope is your inheritance and destiny. No matter how difficult circumstances become, nothing can pluck you from His Hand, and no force can alter the duration or the impact of the days ordained for you. His perfect plan for your future will prevail, and He will be close to you in the middle of every setback and discouragement you face. With God, you are immovable and inexorable, and because He reigns in you, earthly obstacles only serve to make your spirit stronger! |
Prayer
Jesus, thank you that no difficulty or persecution can separate me from you. I have faith in your perfect plan, regardless of how it looks from my finite perspective.
Reflection
How does knowing that your soul is imperishable empower you to face tough times?
If you’re unable to attend your local church or need some additional weekly inspiration, be sure to tune into Hour of Power every Saturday night at 6:30 p.m. PT on TBN or watch online at hourofpower.org/episode.
3 Responses
I know that my soul empowers me to face tough times such as not being able to enjoy playing bingo every Thursday evening and also singing karaoke every first and third Saturday evenings at our Miami Elks Lodge 948.And not being allowed to do my lector ministry during the 7:30 am Sunday Mass at St Catherine of Siena Catholic Church.And also shopping for groceries at Publix Supermarket.But because of the horrible Covid -19! Pandemic. We have to use Instacart as our source of delivery.It is terrible and unfair that all of us have to settle for this new norm.But there is light at the end of this dark and gloomy tunnel.If all people will remember to wear a mask and practice social distancing guidelines.Then hopefully the curve of infections will start to trend downward.I still don’t want to take any chances. It is too risky and dangerous even for me and my sister to be with huge crowds.I hope and pray that the Hour of Power will continue its mission of spreading the good news of God and his healing messages to all hurting and lost people all over the World.To Pastor Bobby Schuller and his beautiful family that God will bless them with good health. To the Hour of Power choir and Orchestra and their two conductors. Love blessings and appreciation for the wonderful and uplifting music and singing. To all at Shepherd’s Grove at Irvine Presbyterian Church much love.warm thoughts and good wishes.My God bless all.And the entire United States of America
Beautifully stated. I echo that precious prayer for Rev. Schuller. I love his Daily Devotionals delivered to my email everyday. What a needed life line during such a precarious and fragile time. God be with our Policy Leaders, our Nation, our front line workers, our Faith Workers (like Rev. Schuller, and all the hurting souls from this Pandemic. We too have been shut in for close to 12 months (Feb 23rd, 2020 to be exact) now and it is solely by Faith and Prayer that has carried us through this funky indescribable “twilight zone” type isolation. Jesus is our strength and our Hope and I love how Rev. Schuller breaks it down for us in theological digestible chunks. So grateful, so blessed, so hopeful. Thank you for your prayer Donna and THANK YOU Shepherd’s Grove. Blessings Abound!!
Powerful message.