Like Living Stones
Read: 1 Peter 2:1-9 As you come to him, a living stone. (v. 4) My father was a brick mason, so I learned very early in life the difference between headers and stretchers, and between closers and bats. And if I learned anything at all, I certainly learned the meaning of a cornerstone. Set the […]
Ordered Affections
Read: 1 Peter 2:1-9 Rid yourselves, therefore . . . (v. 1 NRSV) A very wise friend of mine often says, “If we are talking about real Christianity, we must get comfortable with the fact that there will be a ‘no’ somewhere in the sentence.” While we have been culturally conditioned from our cradles to […]
The Enduring Word
Read: 1 Peter 1:22-25 . . . but the word of the Lord endures forever. (v. 25 NRSV) Everything around us is fading away with the striking exception of the Word of the Lord, which is “living and active” (Heb. 4:12) and endures forever. John Calvin, the most influential theologian of the Reformed tradition, writes […]
New Languages in Nepal
Words of Hope Nepal is expanding to include two new language programs, Magar and Maithili, in order to better serve the diverse communities in the region. Many Nepali people prefer to speak their local languages, even though they understand Nepali. Recognizing the importance of communicating in heart languages, the team has begun preparing and praying […]
Action-Oriented Thinking
Read: 1 Peter 1:13-21 Therefore prepare your minds for action . . . (v. 13 NRSV) Something doesn’t seem right in verse 13: “Prepare your minds for action . . .”? Minds think, and bodies act, not the other way around. Isn’t that right? Apparently not for Peter! Lurking beneath Peter’s conviction is something he […]
Angel Longings
Read: 1 Peter 1:10-1 . . . things into which angels long to look! (v. 12) Peter’s conviction that there are “things into which angels long to look” intrigues me. Most of the time we either don’t think about angels at all, or we think about them wrongly, as chubby little figurines or as a […]
Praying for a Lifetime!
Read: 1 Peter 1:3-9 Blessed be the God and Father . . . (v. 3) Did you know that the phrase Peter uses to begin his letter is not original to him? He is actually borrowing a phrase from the Sabbath liturgy of the Jewish synagogue. The main section of prayers in the liturgy of […]
Chosen and Destined but Still Exiles
Read: 1 Peter 1:1-2 To the exiles of the Dispersion. (v. 1 NRSV) Today’s passage contains a painful dilemma we all know far too well. I am sure you felt it as you read verse 1: “to the exiles . . . who have been chosen and destined . . .” Apparently belonging to the […]
The Prayer to End all Prayers
Read: Revelation 21:1-4, 22:20-21 Come, Lord Jesus! (Rev. 22:20) There is no better way to end these devotions on prayer than to consider the prayer that the Bible ends with: “Come, Lord Jesus!” In our world today, it’s common to hear cries of all kinds: “End injustice!” “End human trafficking!” “End racism!” As Christians, we […]