Heavenly-Minded - January 18 Readings: 1 Peter 1:3-12

We are going to "enter the year with praise." Our January readings and devotionals will all focus on the goodness and grace of God. Get a journal or notebook to write down your thoughts every day. Our passages are shorter - please don't rush through them. Take time to meditate and consider why God is worthy of your praise.

Enter 2020 with the praise of God on your lips!

Today's Praise Passage:  1 Peter 1:3-12

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Because of his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead 4 and into an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you. 5 You are being guarded by God’s power through faith for a salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. 6 You rejoice in this, even though now for a short time, if necessary, you suffer grief in various trials 7 so that the proven character of your faith—more valuable than gold which, though perishable, is refined by fire—may result in praise, glory, and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. 8 Though you have not seen him, you love him; though not seeing him now, you believe in him, and you rejoice with inexpressible and glorious joy, 9 because you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls.
 10 Concerning this salvation, the prophets, who prophesied about the grace that would come to you, searched and carefully investigated. 11 They inquired into what time or what circumstances the Spirit of Christ within them was indicating when he testified in advance to the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow. 12 It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves but you. These things have now been announced to you through those who preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven—angels long to catch a glimpse of these things.

Through the Bible Reading: Genesis 37-38, Matthew 12:22–50, Psalm 10:12–18, Proverbs 3:3-4

Some of our readers want a little more "meaty" devotional, so I am including a link to the through Through the Bible in One Year readings we did last year. 

Devotional: Heavenly-Minded 

"You are so heavenly-minded you are of no earthly good."

That was a favorite insult of a group in my college days, those who had abandoned the gospel of Jesus Christ for what is often called the "social gospel." They believed that we were put here to make the world a better place, to be the best we can be, and felt that getting bogged down in thinking about heaven and hell, deep things of theology or our future hope would be a distraction from our responsibilities in the here and now.

Peter made it clear in 1 Peter 1:3-5 just how misguided that kind of thinking actually is. In fact, the opposite is true. Oh, certainly we are here to help people and to serve others in the name of Christ. Social justice is a noble thing if done out of a heart for Jesus and as an outgrowth of the work of the gospel. But our hope is never in this world nor do we live for it. Look at what Jesus' disciple said.

According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, 5 who by God's power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

We have been born again to a new life based on an imperishable inheritance kept for us by God and ready to be revealed at the end of time. In other words, we are living for the glory that is to come. Why is that? Because if we are doing it right, life in this world is going to be hard! Verse 6 carries on from the previous verses:

"...though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials..." 

Trials are normal, natural - a part of every Christian's life. It's the life we can expect to lead. be Sometimes it will be small challenges and sometimes it will be huge sufferings, but either way we can expect our lives in this world of sin to be filled with challenges, heartaches, setbacks, opposition, and suffering. Like Jesus. Like Paul. Like Peter. Like just about every one of the key followers of Christ in the New Testament.

The idea that walking with Jesus and living for him brings health, wealth, ease, comfort, and constant "wonderfulness" in life is not gleaned from Scripture.

And that is why Peter tells his readers to do two things - consistently and repeatedly. First, he tells them to continue. As a marathon runner (former) I can tell you that the key to completing a marathon is this - when you feel like quitting, DON'T! Go another step and another. Run the race to the finish.

Peter has one more instruction. Walk in holiness. In times of suffering or in times of ease, this doesn't change. We have been saved for godly and holy lives. "Be holy, because I am holy." Jesus is our foundation, our cornerstone, and we must walk as he did - in purity, holiness, and daily obedience.

All our trials and hardships are part of the work of God to make us holy and use us in his work. Thank God for your salvation and for all he has done for you.

Father, I do not know what today will hold. I pray for a good day, but whatever challenges come, may your grace go before me. Help me to continue on without giving up - running the race you set before me to the finish. And may I walk in holiness and purity every day. 

Think and Pray:

Meditate on this passage and write down:

1. The character qualities of God for which you can praise him. 

2. The gracious acts of God for which you can give thanks to him. 

Thank God today, again, for the living hope you have in Christ.

PLEASE, even though the same questions have appeared now 18 days in a row, don't ignore them. Write down the character qualities of God and his gracious acts.