Reminders

 "Dear friends, this is now my second letter to you. I have written both of them as reminders to stimulate you to wholesome thinking. I want you to recall the words spoken in the past by the holy prophets and the command given by our Lord and Savior through your apostles."

— 2 Peter 3:1-2

Gracious Lord Jesus, my friend and my King,

Peter wrote this second letter to the churches to serve along with his first letter as reminders to literally stir up their pure and sincere minds. An impure mind doesn't need stirring up or stimulation. But a pure mind needs to be stirred and stimulated for continuous wholesome thinking. That's why I come to Your Word. Your Word stimulates my mind. My redeemed way of thinking needs a continual reminder to stay on course, to remain pure in my thoughts, and to recall how I have chosen to live.

Peter also wants his readers to recall the words spoken by the holy prophets long ago and the commands given by You through Your apostles. The words of the prophets and the apostles both must be recalled and remembered. It is clear that Peter sees the words spoken in the past by the holy prophets as being fully compatible and carrying the same message as the commands given by our Lord and Savior through Your apostles. This is consistent with Your message that you did not come to abolish the Law and the Prophets but to fulfill them. I need the full counsel of God's Word to waken and arouse my mind to pure and sincere thinking. I need to recall all that God has spoken, especially to withstand the false teaching that abounds and the way this world seeks to disciple me.

Lord Jesus, thank You for Your Word that is in me. Would You stir it up today and bring to my memory what I need for today? Would You help Your Word get deep into my soul and planted there? Would You help me know and understand all of Your Word to remind me of the way of life I am to live?

— In Jesus' Name I pray, Amen!

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

No Retaliation

 "To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps. “He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth.” When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly." — 1 Peter 2:21-23 Gracious Lord Jesus, my friend and my King, Thank you for leaving me an example of how to respond when I am verbally chastised, insulted, and torn down. You did not retaliate. No deceit was found in Your mouth. When You suffered, You made no threats. Instead You entrusted Yourself to the Father who judges Your accusers justly. Yesterday, a respected young man named Charlie Kirk, 31, who stood for righteousness and civil discourse was assassinated while speaking at an event at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah. Charlie Kirk has consistently been one of the calmest and most polite among us. He listened to questions from his o...
Read more

Suffering

 Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. — Romans 5:3-4 Gracious Lord Jesus, my friend and my King, We glory in our sufferings. The word Paul uses here means to "glory in a thing", "to boast", "to rejoice." He's contrasting his previous thought that we boast or rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. We rejoice in our hope of God and  we rejoice in our sufferings. The picture forming in my mind is lifting hands, shouting with joy, as I rejoice in God and then doing the same thing in the midst of my suffering. Yeah. I don't do that. I don't rejoice when suffering comes. I do the opposite. I complain. I sulk. I moan. I am irritated. I am angry. I am resentful. But do I rejoice? No. Yet this is the very thing Paul says we are to do. And it's because of the incredible fruitfulness our suffering brings. Suffering produces perseverance....
Read more

Faithful Stewards

 "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 ...
Read more