Day 60

Date:  3/1/13

Good Morning!  My name is Andrew Knox and I was asked to give you a devotional thought from the book of I Peter chapters 1 and 2.

KEY VERSES:

I Peter 1:3-6

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time, wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, yet are in heaviness through manifold temptations.

REFLECTIONS:

As the writers of many of the New Testament books, Peter begins his letter with laying out the foundation of our faith as believers.  And what a foundation it is!  Abundant mercy is the basis of Christ’s work on the cross for us; a living hope is the result, as opposed to a temporary dead hope brought by riches or any worldly success.  This hope is made possible by the resurrection of Christ from the dead; not only do we know that we will rise again someday to live forever with Christ, but we can also have victory over the deathly power of sin each day.  We are kept in this salvation through daily faith, believing that God is greater than the trials around us and that He will win out in the end.

APPLICATION:

It is easy for us to grow cold in our thankfulness to God for His gift of salvation to us, but when we truly consider and investigate the various aspects of it, as Peter does, our hearts will be thankful again!  Salvation is not a one-time experience that we forget about after “praying a prayer.”  It is a daily realization of our need for Christ’s power in our lives and of His victory over sin and death!  Furthermore, we shouldn’t forget that trials will come.  They may be in many different forms, but the Bible says elsewhere that God has called us to suffer for Him, whether it’s the daily difficulties or severe persecution.  However, our hope in His final victory will give us power to overcome any trial.

Thank you for being a part of the 66-Day Challenge.  Thanks for reading, and you have a blessed day!

In Christ,

Andrew

 

WHEN YOU GOT SAVED: 6 years old

FAVORITE BIBLE VERSE:  Habakkuk 3:17-19

OCCUPATION: Grad student at Valparaiso University

MINISTRY INVOLVEMENT AT VBC:  Impact Youth

DREAM VACATION:  Tibet

HOBBIES: Basketball, traveling