“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 and into an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you.”
How do you start the beginning of every day? Do you rush to check your phone for the latest social media updates or message replies? Or perhaps it’s straight to the coffee machine or kettle to make a drink? Or is it like the great psalmist and going straight to praise in the morning (Psalm 59:16, Psalm 5:3)?
The things we do at the start of our day are good inclinations about what is most important to us. Mothers can rush to see their babies, and investors can run to know the trading market and news. Peter gives us at the start of this letter an excellent portion to start our day with; blessing God our Father.
As Christians who have come to see and understand the truth of God, we should be driven straight to our knees to give thanks and praise and to bless God, who has given us this wonderful gift of salvation. This continuous heart posture of thankfulness is the child-like faith that brings us closer to God daily. Above all things, a genuine heart of gratitude is where the relationship with God grows, for we have much to be grateful for.
Peter has given us several beautiful points on which we can spend the start of each day meditating. Firstly, it is only because of God’s mercy that we can even be in this position right now to give him thanks. It is not because of anything we did. No, it is not because we chose to allow God into our hearts. We can follow Him only because of God’s great mercy.
It is a grievous doctrinal error when people egotistically believe they are the ones who choose to let God into their lives. It is an error straight from the pit of satan’s belly. To think we are the ones who let God into our lives is to put ourselves into a position of superiority, which is contrary to the meek and humble spirit required to walk with God.
Combating this egotistical viewpoint is why Peter starts by reminding us that it is only because of God’s great mercy that we can have hope. Peter is building on the fact that God is the one who chose us and allowed us to be changed (read yesterdays devotional if you do not understand this point) into the likeness of His Son. Through this understanding, we can be driven to our knees in thankfulness for the great mercy God our Father has shown us.
Our second point, which we can focus our gratitude upon, is; our hope in the resurrection. Jesus died and rose again, and because of His resurrection, we have hope that we will be resurrected after we die. Through this resurrection, we will be eternal with God the Father, surrounded by perfect creation without flaw, error or ageing. Through meditation, upon our eternal hope, the stronghold of the wealth and comforts of this world will lose its grasp and strength.
In the same way that a child loses interest in the toys they currently have because of their focus on the toys they will be getting on their birthday, we, too, lose our interest in this world because of our focus on the eternal dwelling place we will inherit.
Today, sit with God and give Him praise and thanksgiving that He chose to show you great mercy. Worship Him for the eternal dwelling place He has prepared for you once you
Read the previous commentary on 1 Peter 1: 1-2
Read the next commentary on 1 Peter 1: 5-7
