Surrender: A devotional on desperation, humility, and giving over

"Therefore, my brothers and sisters, make every effort to confirm your calling and election. For if you do these things, you will never stumble, and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ." — 2 Peter 1:10-11 Gracious Lord Jesus, my friend and my King, Peter repeats the same phrase from vs 5, "make every effort". The Greek word he uses means, "make haste, endeavor, exert one's self, give diligence." Now he says we are to exert diligence to confirming our calling and election. What is "calling"? Ephesians 2:10 describes it as being, "created in Christ Jesus to do good work, which God prepared in advance for us to do." 2 Timothy 1:9 says, "He has saved us and called us to a holy life—not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time." Before time began, God thought of me and h...

 "For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But whoever does not have them is nearsighted and blind, forgetting that they have been cleansed from their past sins." — 2 Peter 1:8-9 Gracious Lord Jesus, my friend and my King, These qualities that Peter has just listed in the preceding verses: goodness, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, mutual affection, and love; are all qualities that I can possess and I can possess them in increasing measure. If I do that, these qualities in my life will be the protective safeguard from an ineffective and unproductive life and being ineffective and unproductive in my knowledge of You. Ineffective means idle and lazy. There's no beneficial activity emanating from my life. I'm simply taking up space. Unproductive means unfruitful and barren. Like a tree with leaves but no produce. In John 15:2 You stated...

 "For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love." — 2 Peter 1:5-7 Gracious Lord Jesus, my friend and my King, Since God has given me very great and precious promises and has invited me to partake in His divine nature, I am to exert all effort to add this list of qualities to my faith. These don't come automatically. These are character traits that are cultivated intentionally. Goodness  means virtue, moral excellence, virtuous thought, feeling, and action. It's the very character of God that defines what is good. Knowledge  means having a deeper, more perfect and enlarged understanding of our Christian faith. It's not just increased intelligence or accumulated facts, but moral wisdom that applies this knowledge. Romans 15:14, "I myself am convin...

"Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires." — 2 Peter 1:4 Gracious Lord Jesus, my friend and my King, Thank you for every great and precious promise You have given me. Right now I choose to receive those promises and step into the reality that I am called, I am chosen, I have been invited into Your divine nature, and I have been given great and precious promises to do so. I remind myself that I have escaped the corruption in this world caused by evil desires. The desires of my flesh and of my enemy do not have a hold on me. Lord, aware of this, I now receive the promise You have for today; Your promises for me as I prepare to preach Your Word to a people in need of hope and truth. I now receive Your promises about who I am—my calling, my identity, my hope in You. I receive the promises You have given me over and over regar...

 "Simon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who through the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ have received a faith as precious as ours: Grace and peace be yours in abundance through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness." — 2 Peter 1:1-3 Gracious Lord Jesus, my friend and my King, It's interesting that in Peter's second letter, he introduces himself as "Simon Peter." It's as if he is reminding himself who he once was. He calls himself first a servant of Jesus Christ, then as an apostle. Servanthood comes first. I am nothing if not first a servant of You, Lord Jesus. He's writing to those who have received and now share this precious faith in "our God and Savior Jesus Christ."  Peter believed as did Thomas when he said to You, "My Lord and my God!" The tw...

 "With the help of Silas, whom I regard as a faithful brother, I have written to you briefly, encouraging you and testifying that this is the true grace of God. Stand fast in it. She who is in Babylon, chosen together with you, sends you her greetings, and so does my son Mark. Greet one another with a kiss of love. Peace to all of you who are in Christ." — 1 Peter 5:12-14 Gracious Lord Jesus, my friend and my King, As Peter brings his letter to a close, he mentions the help of Silas, "whom I regard as a faithful brother." Lord, if there's an aim for my life as a servant of Christ, may I be a man who is called "a faithful brother." I want to be someone who is dependable, reliable, always ready to serve alongside another. I want to be a good steward of the gifts and opportunities presented to me. May it be others who praise me for my character more than any ability. "This is the true grace of God." Lord, may I be reminded today that this life ...

 "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. To him be the power for ever and ever. Amen." — 1 Peter 5:10-11 Gracious Lord Jesus, my friend and my King, My God, who is full of all grace and kindness, has called me—given me a purpose and a name—to His eternal glory, the splendor of my King reflected in my life and His praise and honor, excellence and magnificence that He will have forever through You, Lord Jesus Christ. In this short life, I will have suffering. It's part and parcel of the calling. I have not been called to a life free from suffering. There's a point to this suffering because it is preparing me for this calling here on earth and for eternity in Heaven. But, the good news is that after I've suffered a little while—"a little while" means a scant few, small, a short amount of time—after that very short time,...

 "Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings." — 1 Peter 5:8-9 Gracious Lord Jesus, my friend and my King, I have an enemy. He's the adversary, the accuser, the father of lies. He spends his time roaming to and fro across the earth searching for souls to consume. That has been his strategy since the beginning. He isn't satisfied with simply stealing my joy or giving me misery. He wants to destroy me. But I have been given a strategy to overcome him. I am to resist him and stand firm in my faith in You. I am not to evade the enemy or flee in fear from him. I am to actively, furtively, aggressively resist him. And I know that when I resist the enemy, he must flee from me. I know that my suffering is not unique, not isolated, and I am not alone. Believers...

"In the same way, you who are younger, submit yourselves to your elders. All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, “God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.” Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time." — 1 Peter 5:5-6 Gracious Lord Jesus, my friend and my King, Peter has concluded writing to the elders of the church and how they are to shepherd God's flock willingly, eager to serve, and being an example. Now he turns his attention to those who are younger and calls them to live in the same way as they submit to their elders—voluntarily coming under their leadership. Younger leaders are to come under their elder shepherds willingly. They should be eager to serve. They, too, should be an example. Everyone, Peter says, should clothe themselves with humility toward one another.  The image he creates is of a slave putting on his apron as he prepares to serve others. I think of You, Jesu...

 "For it is time for judgment to begin with God’s household; and if it begins with us, what will the outcome be for those who do not obey the gospel of God? And, “If it is hard for the righteous to be saved, what will become of the ungodly and the sinner?” So then, those who suffer according to God’s will should commit themselves to their faithful Creator and continue to do good." — 1 Peter 4:17-19 Gracious Lord Jesus, my friend and my King, Peter begins this section in vs. 12 saying, "do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that has come on you to test you." The suffering we undergo as Christians is purifying not punitive. You are preparing us for eternity and You use suffering as the purifying process to clean, strengthen, and teach us. Psalm 119:71 says, "It was good for me to be afflicted so that I might learn your decrees." But the suffering the nonbeliever will experience is eternal. The same fire that burns up straw will refine gold. The suffering I...

 "If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you. If you suffer, it should not be as a murderer or thief or any other kind of criminal, or even as a meddler. However, if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name." — 1 Peter 4:14-16 Gracious Lord Jesus, my friend and my King, In Matthew 5:11-12, You made it clear that when people insult me, persecute me, and falsely say all kinds of evil against me because of You, that I am blessed and that I should rejoice and be glad because great is my reward in Heaven. Peter says that when I am insulted because of the name of Christ, the Holy Spirit rests on me. That's incredibly comforting. The Shekinah glory of God settles upon me in the midst of righteous suffering for You. But if I suffer, it shouldn't be due to my own bad choices or unrighteous living. If I suffer because of my own sin, there's no glory in that. ...

 "Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms. If anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God. If anyone serves, they should do so with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen." — 1 Peter 4:8-11 Gracious Lord Jesus, my friend and my King, This is the second time Peter instructs believers to love one another deeply, fervently. Our love for one another overlooks small offenses. Without our deep and fervent love, every little irritation becomes a grievance. It should not be that way in the body of Christ. Because this early church met in homes, hospitality was necessary. To be hospitable means welcoming people into your home, but ...

 "For you have spent enough time in the past doing what pagans choose to do—living in debauchery, lust, drunkenness, orgies, carousing and detestable idolatry. They are surprised that you do not join them in their reckless, wild living, and they heap abuse on you. But they will have to give account to him who is ready to judge the living and the dead." — 1 Peter 4:3-5 Gracious Lord Jesus, my friend and my King, Thank You for the day when I realized I had spent enough time in the past doing what pagans choose to do. Those days are long behind me and I thank You for pulling me out of that life. I know that my life today is strange and they are astonished that I live differently. Today this shows up when non-believers are shocked that I don't value what they value. My beliefs about sexuality, gender, morality, and self-control are confusing and even repulsive to those who are far from God. As a result, they feel the conviction of their sin. That feeling is detestable to them...