Jesus

1 Peter 1:3-5

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who through His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time."

Dear Lord,

Thank You for Your Son. Thank you for humbling Yourself and *wrapping our injured flesh around You, so Jesus could be the perfect sacrificial Lamb for our sins. Thank You that, no matter how much He would rather have not faced suffering on the cross, He did anyway, because of Your will and love. Thank You for the example Jesus set before us of how to follow You. Thank you for the miracles He performed while He was here, and for the miracles You perform today. Thank You for sending Your Holy Spirit to continue the miracles of Jesus Christ to the furtherance of Your will and good pleasure.

Thank You, Lord, for loving me.
In Jesus' Name, amen.


The above verses are so encouraging to me! God "...has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to obtain an inheritance which... will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time." There are amazing promises here! We have a living hope because of Christ's resurrection. He is our hope (1 Timothy 1:1)! He has an inheritance for us, His children, waiting for us in heaven, and it cannot be taken away. Also, we are protected for salvation by the power of God Himself. A salvation to be revealed when Christ returns.

In the day-to-day, I forget to view everything through this lens. When I'm struggling with anxiety or anger, when I've lost hope, or when I feel I've had enough, it's usually because I've forgotten about my living hope in Christ. The entire Bible relates back to Christ. "For from Him and to Him and through Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen." (Romans 11:36) It isn't about me, it's about Him. "Every good thing given and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow." (James 1:17) Everything I have - the air I breathe, the clothes I wear, the food I eat, the ground I walk on, every moment - is a gift from God, not my right. Those are the gifts I have now. When Christ comes, and we receive our inheritance? It will be so much better! When I remember this, I am so humbled and so thankful! Praise the Lord for His gift of Jesus Christ!

What could help remind you that Jesus Christ is our living hope?

*"wrap our injured flesh around you" is a quote from the song “Welcome to Our World” by Chris Rice)