1 Peter 1:1-2

Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to those who are elect exiles of the dispersion in Pontus, Galatia,
Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in the
sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and for sprinkling with His blood: May grace
and peace be multiplied to you.

Peter begins his letter by pointing out his authority to write. Think upon the sources of “wisdom” you
allow into your life every day, the things and the people that have influence over your thoughts, works
and actions. Are those “counselors” worthy of the time and attention that you give them? If not, how
can we better monitor and select the things that have sway over us?

Three words describe Peter’s audience: elect, exiles and dispersion. What do those words mean to you,
what do you think they meant to Peter when he was inspired to write them?

Finally, we see the work of the Trinity put on display. We are elect exiles according to the wonderful
workings of all the parts of God’s person. The Father knows the plan that He would enact in our lives,
the Spirit words to carry us along toward maturity and understanding to better walk in that plan, and
the Son has made it all possible for us through the gift of His shed blood, without which we would
remain lost, citizens of this world rather than those set apart. Take a moment or two in prayer to thank
the Lord that His work in three parts has done so much for you.

1 Peter 1:3-5

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! 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, to an
inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God’s power
are being guided through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

Think about things that you hope for, what is on that list? While our earthly hopes may range from
noble and godly to ignoble and sinful, they remain merely earthly. Have you stopped lately to think
about the living hope that you’ve been provided through the work of Christ? While we are young we
don’t always recognize some of the amazing things that we have been given in Christ, promises like
forgiveness from sin, adoptions as beloved children of God, eternal joy in heaven, freedom from the fear
of God’s just wrath and punishment, freedom from the fear of death. In different stages of your life,
these promises and guarantees will have increased significance. For today, stop again and think about
those things you hope for, how do they compare with those given in Christ? More importantly, which
honestly keep you going on a tough day? Stop for a moment and offer up a prayer of thanksgiving for
His great grace and promises and ask for help keeping the heavenly perspective that is yours through
Christ.
1 Peter 1:6-9

In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials,
so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is
tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.
Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and
rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, obtaining the outcome of your faith the
salvation of your souls.

What do you call a trial? What does this world bring your way that grieves you? Does anything change in
your response to those events if you think of them in a different light? Does it make a difference in your
life if a “challenge” has a positive purpose? Our passage today tells us clearly that it should. The trials
and things that cause us the most pain in life are all there for a purpose, a gift, to cultivate in us a faith
that is more precious than gold. Does that change your response to today’s challenges? Few people
enjoy tests, fewer still look to be grieved by life, yet the reality of thing is this: tests and challenges
come, and grief is a close companion to life. If those troubles we face were purposeless, simply the
whimsy of chance, we would do well to despair. But we can respond differently, knowing that there is a
purpose to everything we face, to hone, to burnish, to display our faith, that one thing, given by God
that sets us apart from the rest of the world. Faith is the assurance of things hoped for but not seen.
My prayer is that you hope fully in Christ, unseen yet know, and that your faith, as it is continually tested
by all the ugliness this world will hand you, will shine and keep you as nothing else will.

How will you respond to the next challenge you face?

1 Peter 1:10-12

Concerning this salvation, the prophets who prophesied about the grace that was to be your searched
and inquired carefully, inquiring what person or time the Spirit of Christ in them was indicating when
he predicted the sufferings of Christ and the subsequent glories. It was revealed to them that they
were serving not themselves but you, in the things that have now been announced to you through
those who preached the good news to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven, things into which
angels long to look.

Two thoughts come to mind from this brief passage, first, how blessed are we to have been born into a
time when the good news of the Gospel and the hope provided through Christ is known throughout the
world. Consider the hopelessness we would face if we had been born sometime before the Gospel Age,
trapped in our sins, unable to attain any righteousness of our own (we still can’t by the way) and in utter
despair before the righteous wrath of God. We don’t often stop to think about all the blessings we have
received, simply the date and time of our births, in a time when we can know the gospel and have hope
is a blessing that I hadn’t counted until today, have you? Second, think about the service that we have
received from the prophets in our lives. Those who were moved to write God’s Scriptures have done us
a wonderful blessing. Further though, those who continue even today to proclaim the good news of the
Gospel continue to bless the world and our hearts. We share in the blessed calling of prophets, a calling
to share the good news with as many as the Lord provides us the opportunity to share it with. Our
service remains to those who are without hope in this world. Pray for a moment in thanksgiving that
you have been blessed with the Gospel, both its promises of hope and its challenging call to share.

1 Peter 1:13-16 Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope
fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. As obedient children, do
not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, but as he who called you is holy, you also
be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.”

What the therefore there for? Since we have been given the blessing of the Gospel, we should have a
response. Peter gives us some characteristics of one who has been changed by the good news. Prepare
your minds for action, what does that mean? What kind of preparation, and what kind of action are we
preparing for? These seem like important questions. The remainder of the passage give us some insight,
do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance but strive for holiness. While Christ
sacrifice and work in our lives provides for eternal good, our flesh and its passions don’t simply subside
overnight, the battle against them will remain for the rest of our days. Think about what it will take to
prepare your mind, what will you do? Will you devote time to prayer, to the word, to God’ church, to
sharing the good news? The word Holy is also key here, it literally means set apart, as one who has
been filled with the Holy Spirit, you are just that, set apart from this world, though it may not always feel
that way. This world will ever strive to pull you back toward itself, our battle is daily to fight for holiness.
1 Peter 1:17-21

And if you call on him as Father who judges impartially according to each one’s deeds, conduct
yourselves with fear throughout the time of your exile, knowing that you were ransomed from the
futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver of gold, but with
the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish of spot. He was foreknown before the
foundation of the world but was made manifest in the last times for the sake of you who through him
are believers in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory so that your faith and hope
are in God.

Conduct yourself with fear? That seems an out of place things to say in light of all the hope and promise
that Peter has been giving us in his letter so far. So what does he mean? The work of Christ has
removed the main things that we have to fear, namely, eternity facing the consequences of the
righteous wrath of God. The fear here speaks of an attitude of reverence and awe in the face of a loving
Father who gave so very much for our sake. Imagine driving the most expensive luxury car you can think
of, do you drive it the same way you would an old jalopy? I know I wouldn’t. The cost of our
redemption, of our ransom was far greater than silver or gold, it was the shed blood of Jesus, a cost that
means infinitely more than all the gold in the world and that should cause us to stop in awe and wonder
and fear of what we’ve been given. Take a minute or two to thank God for His great gift and sacrifice
and consider just how great a price was paid for your heart and soul, does that realization change how
you might act today?
1 Peter 1:22-25 Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere brotherly love,
love one another earnestly from a pure heart, since you have been born again, not of perishable seed
but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God; for “All flesh is like grass and all its
glory like the flower of grass. The grass withers, and the flower falls, but the word of the Lord remains
forever.” And this word is the good news that was preached to you.

One of the outworkings of the Gospel in your life should be love for your brothers and sisters in Christ.
As we have been loved, so should be love one another. John writes similarly that the world will know
that we are Christ’s, that the world will see the Gospel on display, through the witness of our love for
one another. How are you doing in exemplifying that love? What does it look like and what should it?
Take a second and look back through 1 Corinthians 13 and examine what some characteristics of love
should be, do you have these, which need more work. More significantly, which people require more
prayerful effort to love?

Why do we love this way, again, because of the powerful and eternal work of Christ. The Word, the
transforming message of the Gospel of Jesus, that lasts forever is what both enables and demands our
response of love. Prayerfully ask the Lord to continue to work in your heart to show His power and
grace through your obedient love for others.

1 Peter 2:1-3

So put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander. Like newborn infants,
long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation—if indeed you have tasted
that the Lord Is good.

Do you long for pure spiritual milk, that is, the word of God? We all have our favorite tastes, things that
we would eat once a week, every day, some things we would eat until we either ran out or became
physically ill. We have tasted those things and found them to be good, maybe not good for us, but good
to us (note the difference). If we have truly experienced the goodness of God and His word, the same
should be true of our intake of His word. Yet I know for me at least, I don’t always long for the word, I
certainly don’t clamor for it the way an infant would for milk. Be honest with yourself, do you desire His
word, even knowing how much good there is in it? If not then why? The implication in the verses above
seems to be that we often forget the deep and abiding basic “goodness” of the Lord. Those things,
whether they be favorite activities, foods, people, etc. that we most desire have, rightly or wrongly and
even brokenly, been given a place of goodness somewhere in our lives. Addicts can’t get enough of
their chosen “goodness” though it destroys them. Sinners struggle against a “goodness” that their flesh
desires even when their spirit rebels. We do those things that something in us calls “good,” we long to
do them, we set aside time and talents and treasure for them. Yet things of the Lord seem to find a hard
time making it into that list, don’t they? We don’t pray enough, we don’t worship enough, we don’t get
into His word like we should, we don’t fellowship often, we don’t seem to long for Him the way we long
for the next novel by our favorite author, the next hike in the mountains, times with family and friends,
good meals (those things aren’t bad by the way). The answer seems to be in starting by fully savoring
the goodness of the Lord, nothing else can compare with the goodness He brings for us. When we fail or
forget to do that, those other things, good bad or otherwise, try to take primacy in our hearts and lives,
much to our detriment. Stop today and consider the goodness of God and all that He has done for and
in your life, share that list with someone else to help cement His goodness above all others into your
heart.

1 Peter 2:4-8

As you come to him, a living stone, rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, you
yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer
spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. For is stands in Scripture: “Behold, I am
laying in Zion a stone, a cornerstone chosen and precious, and whoever believes in him will not be put
to shame.” So the honor is for you who believe, but for those who do not believe, “The stone that the
builders rejected has become the cornerstone.” and “A stone of stumbling and a rock of offense.”
They stumble because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do.

Have you though lately about what it means to be a living stone? Peter tells us that Christians are part
of two amazing things, a spiritual house and a holy priesthood. What does it mean to you to be a part of
those two things? Through Jesus work as our cornerstone and foundation we have the chance to be part
of a house of and for God. Through His work to make our sacrifices acceptable to God we have the
chance to be part of God’s priesthood, an honor and closeness with the Father that was reserved for
only the very few. We who believe in Jesus have the honor or a place in both those works of God,
something those who are without Him will never experience. What does it mean to be part of God’s
spiritual house, what does it mean to you to be one of His priests? Take some time to think about how
your life and response to those great honors should change day by day.

1 Peter 2:9-10

But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you
may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once
you were not a people, but now you are God’s people, once you had not received mercy, but now you
have received mercy.

One of my favorite passages. First stop and think about each of these descriptors of who you are in
Christ, first the adjectives, chosen, royal, holy, His possession. Next the nouns, race, priesthood, nation
and people. What do those words mean to you and for you? I love the calling that this special person
(you) have according to the passage above “To proclaim the excellencies of Him who called you out of
darkness into His marvelous light.” Remember that, while in sin and without Christ we dwelt in darkness
of the soul, without hope for light, without mercy. God, through the work of Jesus has provided that
hope, provided that light, made mercy possible, and called us to Himself. When was the last time you
thought to proclaim all the good He has done for you?

1 Peter 2:11-12

Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh which wage war
against your soul. Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against
you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation.
I feel that these two verses set up much of the remainder of Peter’s letter to us. Since we are not really
citizens of this world we should work to look different from it. That is part of the definition of the word
“holy” it may mean set apart or separate. As Christ’s people, His holy nation, etc. we should look
different from the world around us in significant ways. Peter will go on in the next several paragraphs to
talk about some very practical ways and relationship that can put Christ’s work in our lives on display.
That said, we start by fighting against the flesh and its passions. We all have particular sins and
weakness that we struggle against, they may change over time as we grow older or more mature in our
walk with the Lord, but I don’t think we ever become truly free from this battle against our flesh, against
that sinful part of us that remains a tether to this world when we’d rather be truly free. Consider those
passions that are in the forefront of your daily fight to be more what the Lord desires you to be. What
are they, how are you working against them, who do you have helping you, what verses from Scripture
can be encouraging? The battle we face each day is very real, but lots of people, especially those
without Christ, never see it. Pray for their eyes to be opened, and strength for your own battle, and
those you love today.

1 Peter 2:13-17

Be subject for the Lord’s sake to every human institution, whether it be to the emperor as supreme, or
to governors as sent by him to punish those who do evil and to praise those who do good. For this is
the will of God, that by doing good, you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish people. Live as
people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God.
Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the emperor.

How do you respond to the authorities in your life? Parents? Bosses? The government? I find it
interesting that we are called to be subject to , and to honor, our authorities “for the Lord’s sake.” The
way we respond to the world is a witness of God’s work in our lives. In the next few passages Peter lays
out how our relationships with different people should look in order to give a witness to the Lord’s hand
in our lives, he begins with our response to authority. You don’t live under an emperor or king, but you
do have people with authority over you. Think about how you’ll respond to the next one you interact
with.

1 Peter 2:18-21

Servants, be subject to your masters with all respect, not only to the good and gentle but also to the
unjust. For this is a gracious thing, when, mindful of God, one endures sorrows while suffering
unjustly. For what credit is it if, when you sin and are beaten for it, you endure? But if when you do
good and suffer for it you endure, this is a gracious thing in the sight of God. For to this you have been
called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his
steps.

Peter continues to give us very practical advice on our relationship to people and the world around us.
As one who has been saved and redeemed by Jesus’ work our response to sorrows and difficult people
should be an opportunity to show how much He has done in us. We all face sorrows and sufferings,
often at the hands of people who do not know the Lord, sometimes because we are persecuted. Peter
encourages us that, just as Jesus did, we should respond to those challenges with God given courage and
grace. Jesus endured so very much at the hands of the Pharisees and the Romans, knowing that even
those terrible moments were part of God’s plan, knowing of the great rewards that awaited Him and the
joys for us that He was making possible. We need to take the time to look at sufferings or sorrows in a
similar light. Do you think about sorrows being part of God’s design for building you into the person
that you are? Do you think it would help you to get through your challenges if you stopped to look at
them in this light? Pray for His help to see what He desires to teach you through the hard times in life.

1 Peter 2:22-25

He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth. When he was reviled, he did not revile in
return; when he suffered, he did not threated, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges
justly. He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to
righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed. For you were straying like sheep, but have now
returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.

Peter continues to provide us the greatest example of suffering in silence, shown in the person of Jesus.
He had the power to end all the suffering he underwent but He knew the necessity of it and persevered.
Do you stop to think about the need for challenges and even sufferings that you face? Sometimes we
face sorrows due to persecution, sometimes because we live in a sinful world, sometimes as a
consequence of our own sin. What would God have you learn in each case? How would God change
you through the things you are struggling with today?

He bore our sins in His body on the tree… I won’t even pretend to understand how Jesus could do that,
but I will praise Him and rejoice that He did. Without His willingness to bear our burdens we would
remain alive to our sin and dead to righteousness, since He did what only He could do, the opposite is
true. Please take a moment to praise your Shepherd and Overseer for the freedom and the life that He
has made possible because of His great love for you.

1 Peter 3:1-6 Likewise, wives, be subject to your own husbands, so that even if some do not obey the
word, they may be won without a word by the conduct of their wives, when they see your respectful
and pure conduct. Do not let your adorning be external—the braiding of hair and the putting on of
gold jewelry, or the clothing you wear—but let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with
the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God’s sight is very precious. For this is
how the holy women who hoped in God used to adorn themselves, by submitting to their own
husbands, as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord. And you are her children, if you do good and do
not fear anything that is frightening.

Peter gives guidelines and encouragements for another important relationship, that of wives to their
husbands. Marriage is certainly the closes relationship any of us will take part in, as such is among the
most significant witness of the work of Christ in lives. Peter calls wives to exhibit the same longsuffering
and humility toward husband that Jesus did toward His revilers. Hopefully the husband and wife
relationship isn’t as bad as that of Jesus and the Romans, but the principle remains the same. Every
relationship is vulnerable to pride and to fears, marriage is no different, and in fact, its extreme intimacy
may serve to magnify that vulnerability. Peter encourages wives that a sound character that respects
and honors a husband, even those who are lost, is a witness of the Lord’s working, a joy in the sight of
God, a following in the footsteps of blessed and godly women, and even a work of evangelism toward
wayward husbands. Pray for the wives that you know and hold dear, that the Lord would give them the
needed strength to grow is this manner.

1 Peter 3:7 Likewise, husbands, live with your wives in an understanding way, showing honor to the
woman as the weaker vessel, since they are heirs with you of the grace of life, so that your prayers
may not be hindered.

The Lord’s word to husband begins with “likewise” the attitudes of humility and longsuffering that have
been exemplified in Christ and recommended to wives are also to be shown in husbands. It is hard to
live with anyone in an understanding way, but with love and grace for someone it becomes easier over
time. Peter reminds husbands that their wives are just as equally redeemed and loved by the Lord and
the men, something that should never be forgotten or overlooked. What does it mean to live with
someone in an understanding way? Why is this sometimes hard? Who do you have the hardest time
trying to “understand” and how can you prayerfully work toward loving them more fully? While the
principle in our verse today is geared toward husbands and wives, it remains true for all relationship as
well. Peter goes on to remind husbands that their very prayer life will be hindered should they fall short
in their love for their wives, think about how important that husband and wife relationship must be to
the Lord. Pray for the husbands that you know, that they might grow in understanding care for their
brides.

1 Peter 3:8-12

Finally, all of you, have unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love, a tender heart, and a humble mind.
Do not repay evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary bless, for to this you were called,
that you may obtain a blessing. For “whoever desires to love life and see good days, let him keep his
tongue from evil and his lips from speaking deceit; let him turn away from evil and do good, let him
seek peace and pursue it. For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are open to their
prayer. But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.”

So many practical things to think on from these verses. What do these things mean to you: unity of
mind, sympathy, brotherly love, tender heart, humble mind? More , how you show them toward those
around you? Peter tells us that at least some of our work in relationships that would show off the Lord’s
glory starts with the way we talk to each other, are you careful with your words? Our admonition as that
the Lord is indeed watching what we do, how we treat one another, and how we reflect His given grace
in the way we love each other.

1 Peter 3:13-17 Now, who is there to harm you if you are zealous for what is good? But even if you
should suffer for righteousness sake, you will be blessed. Have no fear of them, nor be troubled, but
in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who
asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect, having a good
conscience, so that, when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be
put to shame. For it is better to suffer for doing good, if that should be God’s will, that for doing evil.

No matter what the day brings we should be able to honor Christ the Lord as holy. Some days that is
hard than others. Sadly, there are people who will harm you even if you are zealous for doing good,
Peter knew this, and it hasn’t changed. We live in a world that remains troubled by the presence of sin
and sinners, and so will face days and people that hurt us. Yet, Christ is still our Lord and still ever
worthy of our devotion and focus, that is one of the great daily differences between Christians and
others. We all have troubling times, Christians are able to look past those days knowing that something
greater, something set apart has more significance, and when we look at the world with that mindset,
we can have hope that those without Christ lack. Does Christ protect your heart this way? Do you look
toward Him and what He has done through and for you when that day if challenging? Are you ready to
share with a friend who is without that hope just what keeps you going? How? We sometimes will face
suffering in spite of our best efforts to avoid it, sometimes it is God’s will, He will use it to shape and
grow us, think about how we can live to make certain we are “suffering” for the right reasons?

1 Peter 3:18-22

For Christ also suffered, once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to
God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit, in which he went and proclaimed to
the spirits in prison, because they formerly did not obey, when God’s patience waited in the days of
Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were brought safely
through water. Baptism, which corresponds to this, now saves you, not as a removal of dirt from the
body but as an appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who has
gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, with angels, authorities, and powers having been
subjected to him.

Never let us take for granted that Christ, the righteous suffered for our sake. Why God has chosen to
bring us to ourselves this way is something that I have a hard time understanding. Why die for your
enemies? Out of His great love that is what He did. The Gospel is in many ways incomprehensible, yet it
is rooted in the marvelous character of God, and His plan to meet both His love for us and His
unwavering righteousness, both had to be met, and the gift of Christ was the only way in which that
could happen. Take a few moments to thank God that He did what only He could to make you His
righteous child.

The remainder of the passage is challenging, and frankly argued about by scholars, what does it mean
that Christ proclaimed a message to the spirits in prison? For me the real message is that Christ has
given opportunity after opportunity for people to know Him and the message of the Gospel, but those
verses are ones to ponder and pray over. I like Peter’s description of baptism as an appeal to God for e
good conscience, those words carry more weight I think than our standard “outward sign of an inward
change.” While baptism is indeed a testimony to those around us that we have repented and believed
in Christ, the idea that we would at that same time plead with God that our hearts and souls would be
made clean adds still more to that act. Think about your baptism. What did it mean for you, what does
it mean now?

1 Peter 4:1-6

Since therefore Christ suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves with the same way of thinking, for
whoever has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, so as to live for the rest of the time in the flesh
no longer for human passions but for the will of God. For the time that is past suffices for doing what
the Gentiles want to do, living in sensuality, passions, drunkenness, orgies, drinking parties, and
lawless idolatry. With respect to this they are surprised when you do not join them in the same flood
of debauchery, and they malign you; but they will give account to him who is ready to judge the living
and the dead. For this is why the gospel was preached even to those who are dead, that though
judged in the flesh the way people are, they might live in the spirit the way God does.

What would it be like to cease from sin? Think about what your life will look like when you are finally
free from the worry of sin. How wonderful. What’s more how will you look to the people who know
you when you gain victory over sin? Peter encourages us that, if we arm ourselves with the thought that
as Jesus put aside Himself for the will of God, we can gain more and more victory over the flesh and the
sin it carries around with it, and that doing so not only blesses us, but those who see that we are
different from the world around. You will go through times in your life when you will be tempted
toward sins by people, friends, boyfriends and girlfriends, even spouses and church family sometimes.
Not all of those temptations are as easy to see as others. Arm yourselves with a growing understanding
of Christ’s love and attitude toward this world and what He went through to obey the Father, ask for His
help in those moments and in doing so shine the work of the Gospel to those around you.

1 Peter 4:7-11

The end of all things is at hand; therefore, be self-controlled and sober-minded for the sake of your
prayers. Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins. Show
hospitality to one another without grumbling. As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another,
as good stewards of God’s varied grace; whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever
serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies—in order that in everything God may be
glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.

“Keep loving one another earnestly.” What does that mean to you? Add to your thoughts about loving
someone that your love for them will help cover a multitude of sins, does that change what you think
love means? It should.

We are to use the gifts God has given us as ministers of His grace. The word picture here is that we are
each in charge of polishing and showing off a single facet of a marvelous diamond. What gifts do you
think God has given you? Do you employ those gifts in ways that glorify Him? What does that look like,
how do you do it? Or why don’t you? He deserves all that we can offer back up to Him, not that we
might earn His favor, He already loves us unconditionally through Jesus, but as our lives of worship and
love for Him. How can you better use those things He’s given you?
1 Peter 4:12-19 Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as
though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice insofar as you share Christ’s sufferings,
that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed. If you are insulted for the name of
Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. But let none of you
suffer as a murderer or a thief or an evildoer or as a meddler. Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let
him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in that name. For it is time for judgment to begin at the
household of God; and if it begins with us, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the
gospel of God? And “If the righteous is scarcely saved, what will become of the ungodly and the
sinner?” Therefore let those who suffer according to God’s will entrust their souls to a faithful Creator
while going good.

Suffering is not something people look forward to, it is something this world does its very best to avoid
at all costs. Yet Peter reminds us that there are different kinds or more accurately different reasons for
out suffering. People often ask, “why am I going through this trial.” The answer is almost never easy to
bear. Sometimes we suffer because of our sins, perhaps not as murderers or thieves, but nevertheless,
sin brings about some measure of suffering to our lives, with God’s diving hope of turning us closer to
Him through His discipline. And sometimes suffering is part of God’s will for us, hard though that might
be to understand. He desires above all to draw us near, Jesus died to make that possible. Sometimes
challenges and trials and even sufferings are tools God uses according to His will to bring us near to Him.
Think about any suffering you have faced recently. What was the cause? How did you handle the
challenge? Does what you’ve read today change your thinking about sufferings?

1 Peter 5:1-5 So I exhort the elders among you, as a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of
Christ, as well as a partaker in the glory that is going to be revealed: shepherd the flock of God that is
among you, exercising oversight, not under compulsion, but willingly, as God would have you, not for
shameful gain, but eagerly, not domineering over those in your charge, but being examples to the
flock. And when the chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory. Likewise,
you who are younger be subject to the elders. Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one
another, for God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.

Think about the elders in your church. What are they like? Are they blessed to serve where God has
them or do they seem burdened by their ministry? Do they lead by example? Pray for your elders
(pastors) that they might be given the heart that Peter calls them to in the words above. It is easy as a
pastor to feel burdened, to behave and lead out of pride or a desire to command, and there are pastors
who are in their profession because the money is good. Your pastors need your constant prayers to
avoid these temptations and pitfalls to their ministry. Likewise, it makes a pastor’s job much easier
when people respond the way Peter calls us to, with humility. Elders are asked to give some of the
hardest lessons people will ever hear, lessons that remind us of our sinfulness, that call us to repent,
that hold us accountable, lessons that we don’t always want to hear and that we respond to in ways that
are often less than humble. Our calling as sheep is to listen to and respond well to our shepherds, as we
would to the chief Shepherd.
1 Peter 5:6-14 Humble yourselves, therefore under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time
he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you. Be sober-minded; be
watchful. You adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist
him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your
brotherhood throughout the world. 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. To him be the dominion forever and ever. Amen.

By Silvanus, a faithful brother as I regard him, I have written briefly to you, exhorting and declaring
that this is the true grace of God. Stand firm in it. She who is at Babylon, who is likewise chose, sends
you greetings and so does Mark, my son. Greet one another with the kiss of love. Peace to all of you
who are in Christ.

Do you trust the Lord with your troubles? All of them?. Be humble, knowing that God is far better able
to take cares of us that we can ourselves and moreover that He desires to do so out of His great love for
us. He wants to give us His great hand with any of our worries or problems, the way a loving Father
should always do, but we sometimes hold onto those problems, not either not trusting in the Lord’s
good will or power, or pridefully believing that we can handle them ourselves. Why do we do it? I don’t
know, but I do it too.

We have an enemy to be dealt with daily. The devil, though already defeated in the grand scheme of
things, continues to try and work his evil upon the world. Peter encourages us that we have the ability to
stand firm against him if we stand firm in faith. What part of your faith in the work of Christ gives you
strength from day to day? What do you forget when trials and temptations come that you would do well
to rehearse and remember?