Corporate Devotions: 1 Peter (Part 1)
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With all the conveniences and securities of western society, it’s easy to think that this world is a pretty nice place to live. It’s all we’ve ever known, and it feels like home. That is, until a viral pandemic begins to shake things that seem pretty stable – the economy, our healthcare system, and all the comforting routines of normal life. We are feeling our collective weakness and mortality in new ways, and there’s a very real sense of suffering in being physically separated from one another for days on end.
We are reminded in the book of 1 Peter that we shouldn’t be surprised by suffering. This world isn’t our home because heaven is our home. As Christians, our life on earth is a life in exile. If the Son of God himself suffered when he walked among us, why should his followers expect anything different? 1 Peter also explains why we shouldn’t lose heart in our suffering. God is accomplishing his good purposes through our suffering. Peter also reminds us that a relationship with Jesus is the key to rejoicing in suffering.
While we don’t know how long the COVID-19 outbreak will last, we do know that from an eternal perspective, the troubles of this life are only “for a little while.” Glory is coming! An end to sorrow is guaranteed. “And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you” (1 Peter 5:10). Trusting God isn’t a result of blind optimism. Trusting God is the fruit of glad confidence in King Jesus. For this reason we stand firm, no matter what trouble may come our way over the next few weeks.
Monday
Reading: The entire letter of 1 Peter in one sitting
Questions for Reflection:
Experiencing God’s grace in the midst of our suffering begins with acknowledging the reality of our suffering. Think about the hardest situation in your life right now and what most tempts you to worry or anxiety. Take a few minutes to ask the Lord to care for you in that area through his Word over the next two weeks as we linger in 1 Peter.
Notice how the suffering of Christ surfaces in every chapter. Why is that comforting? Read Hebrews 4:15-16 if you’re unsure.
Song: How Firm a Foundation
Tuesday
Reading: 1 Peter 1:1-2
Questions for Reflection:
Have you ever thought of yourself as an exile in this world? Why or why not?
How is each person of the Triune God (Father, Son, Holy Spirit) involved in our experience of exile?
What does verse 2 teach us about the reason, purpose, and result of our suffering?
The fact that Peter writes to real people in real places reminds us that God speaks to us in the particulars of our suffering. Ask the Lord to increase your faith to see that you are not a “generic” Christian in his eyes, and that he will care for you personally in the smallest details of your present hardship.
Song: God Moves
Wednesday
Reading: 1 Peter 1:3-12
Questions for Reflection:
Look at verse 3. Peter doesn’t start by speaking of our trials (though he will get there very soon). Peter starts with the mercy of God. Do you believe that the mercy God has shown us in Jesus Christ is the defining reality of every Christian’s life? How should that affect our sense of identity in the midst of trouble?
We don’t usually think of grief and joy as emotions that go together (see verse 6). What reasons does Peter give us to be joyful even in the midst of suffering? Look carefully at verses 3-4 and 8-9 if you’re unsure.
Do you think of persevering through hard situations as something you have to do for God, or something God does for you? What does verse 5 say? Take some time to thank God being faithful to guard your own faith even when it feels weak and frail.
While we don't always know why God allows us to experience a particular form of suffering, we do know the answer to what God is accomplishing through every experience of suffering. What’s the answer Peter gives in verse 7? Ask the Lord to use your present sorrows to refine and strengthen your faith in him!
Song: Christ Our Hope in Life and Death
Thursday
Reading: 1 Peter 1:13-25
Questions for Reflection:
Where is your hope in God set? Is it set more on what you want him to do in this life or what you know he will do in the life to come? How does keeping heaven in view shape your expectations and affect your disappointments right now?
What does living with the hope of heaven in view require of you right now? Take a few minutes to ask the Lord to make you holy as he is holy (see verses 14-15). Is there a particular area of your life where the Spirit is prompting you to grow?
The Bible is filled with motivations for personal holiness. You can find two of them in verse 17-19. Pray that God would fill you with the fear of the Lord and help you continually see the price Christ paid to ransom your soul.
How does God raising Jesus “from the dead” and giving him “glory” (verse 21) give us hope for our own lives? How can keeping the imperishable nature of our hope in view deliver us from selfishness and free us to sacrificially love one another? Ask the Lord to do that work in your heart so that you won’t turn inward in response to your suffering.
Song: Come Thou Fount
Friday
Reading: 1 Peter 2:1-12
Questions for Reflection:
At the end of yesterday’s passage and the beginning of today’s passage, Peter emphasizes the importance of holding fast to God’s Word (the “good news” or “pure spiritual milk”). Are your present hardships driving you toward the Bible or away from the Bible? What habits do you need to resume or put in place to abide in God’s Word?
Peter reminds us that community is our identity in Christ (verse 9). How do you think the Lord is building us up as a church family even while we are physically separated (verse 5)? Take a few minutes to pray for specific people in our church, asking the Lord to use this season to make them more like Jesus.
Peter reminds us that all our “spiritual sacrifices” are “acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.” That’s good news during a time when following Jesus is hard and our faith feels weak. Take time to thank God for the fact that even our most feeble acts of obedience are pleasing to him because of Jesus!
Ask the Lord to give you opportunities today to “proclaim” his worth through your words and deeds, especially in conversations with anxious coworkers or neighbors who don’t know Jesus. Remember that many people are more receptive to the gospel in times of widespread suffering.
Song: O Church Arise