Tuesday 16 November, 2021

17 Since you call on a Father who judges each person’s work impartially, live out your time as foreigners here in reverent fear. 18 For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors, 19 but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect. 20 He was chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake. 21 Through him you believe in God, who raised him from the dead and glorified him, and so your faith and hope are in God.

God is impartial, he does not have favourites and will judge or reward each one of us fairly based on the way we live our lives.  Peter therefore reminds us about maintaining a reverential attitude towards God at all times.  He also reminds us of the believer’s ultimate destination is heaven and our passage there is secured through the sacrifice of Christ.  This gives us faith and hope.

It’s so easy to get swallowed up in the urgency of the here and now.  It does seem to scream at us and demand our immediate attention!  Yet here Peter reminds us that as believers our time down here is temporary and some bible versions refer to believers as “foreigners” in other words, we simply don’t belong.  This passage reminds us to live our daily lives in ways that honour and respect God.  It also prompts us to stop, take stock and check our motivations because Jesus laid down his life sacrificially for us so that we can know and trust God and have a future with Him.

Dear God, help us to honour and respect you in the way we live our lives.  Help us not to get caught up with the day to day but always remember the price Jesus paid so that we can be with you for eternity.  Amen

Written by Ps. Ainslie Woods