5th. May. 2022. Daily Devotion.
3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In 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 can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you, 5 who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. 1 Peter 1:3-6
These words of Peter remind me of the need for training and practice in all kinds of sports, music programs, drama, dance, and more. Athletes, musicians, actors, dancers, and others all practice and train so that when the time comes to play or perform, they are ready.
Peter’s advice is sort of like a pep talk to early Christians in the Roman Empire. He writes to encourage them to give praise to God and to focus on all the good things God has promised in Christ. “In his great mercy,” God has given “new birth into a living hope” through Jesus’ resurrection—and this includes “an inheritance that can never . . . fade.” Peter knew that some believers in Christ were facing hardships and persecution because of their faith, so he wanted to remind them of these reasons to praise God.
Our first reaction to spiritual trouble might be to complain, curse the world, or even question God’s care. Peter’s regimen is to exercise our worship muscles and to offer praise to God—to stay in spiritual shape. In other words, hard times require training, and we can train best by praising God for all he has done to save us.
Here is a spiritual tip: Considering Easter and the resurrection, practise praising God now so that when tougher times come, you will be prepared to do what you need to do! D. MacLeod.
Thank you, Lord, for your mercy and for the living hope that helps us face the challenges of life in this world. Amen.
Glorify the Lord, all you works of the Lord,
praise him and highly exalt him for ever.
Glorify the Lord, O nights and days,
O shining light and enfolding dark.
Storm clouds and thunderbolts, glorify the Lord,
praise him and highly exalt him for ever.
Glorify the Lord, O mountains and hills,
and all that grows upon the earth,
praise him and highly exalt him for ever.
Glorify the Lord, O springs of water, seas, and streams,
O whales and all that move in the waters,
All birds of the air, glorify the Lord,
praise him and highly exalt him for ever.
Glorify the Lord, O beasts of the wild,
and all you flocks and herds,
O men and women everywhere, glorify the Lord
praise him and highly exalt him for ever. nTaken from the Book of Common Prayer, 1979, Episcopal Church, USA
God of all glory, when the roar of the traffic recedes and even our hymns are stilled in our mouths, then we hear strains of an anthem sung since
you called all things into being; how birds burst their breasts with gratitude at being alive; how waves on the shore lap a lullaby at your manger and spring lambs bleat delight at the empty tomb; how the wind in the tall pines whispers psalms to the Spirit. As we begin to sing again, help us not to crave the melody
but to find our place in the harmony of all creation. Amen.