Pastor’s Bible Reading Schedule: Psalm 89-90; 1 Peter 4
Devotional Thought:
In this chapter, Peter challenges these persecuted Christians to redeem the time and make whatever time they had left on this earth count for the cause of Christ. The Lord Jesus in John 21 told Peter of his impending martyrdom, and it no doubt motivated him to use his time wisely. The problem with many of us today is we think we are either too busy with life to serve the Lord faithfully or we are simply lazy concerning the commands of Christ. However, we would all be motivated to live more for God if we knew we only had one or two weeks left on earth before meeting the Lord and giving an account of our life. Although we acknowledge and believe that the Lord could return at any minute, we really do not believe it will happen soon. We think we have time; therefore, we assume we will get more serious and attentive later. The truth is, we are not guaranteed to live out today. Tragedy happens every day and the next news story could be you or me. And what we are all hoping and praying for is that the Lord would return and take us home to heaven in the rapture. Let me ask you, “would you be found faithfully serving the Lord and in complete obedience to His word if the Lord came back today?” Peter challenges the Christian to live his remaining days with a proper attitude toward sin, saints, and suffering. The Christians attitude toward sin is explained in verse two, “that he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh to the lusts of men, but to the will of God.” We ought not spend our time satisfying our flesh or living to please man. We have been saved and called to separate from sin and serve the Savior. In verses 8-11 teaches us what our attitude should be toward other saints. (1) We should love one another. Peter acknowledges that if someone wanted to inspect each other’s weaknesses and shortcomings, there would be plenty to find and criticize in all of us. However, he tells us that love covereth a multitude of sins. Love just puts up with some things and focuses on the good things. Love does not wink at sin, but it does continue to sacrifice for the other’s good even when they are expressing their weaknesses. Love never seeks to satisfy, promote, or pacify itself, it always has its object’s best interest at heart. (2) We should spend time with each other. We must learn to make other Christians a priority. Peter finishes this chapter with reminding the Christian what kind of attitude they should have toward suffering. “Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf.” (vs. 16) We ought not think it strange or out of place that Christians will come under attack. Sometimes it comes from the unsaved world that carries out the wishes and demands of the god of this world, and sometimes the attack will come from carnal Christians. Whatever the cause, it should not surprise us when suffering comes to the Christian who is living in obedience to God’s word anticipating the return of Christ.
Personal Requests:
• Lord, please help me to hate sin the way you do. Please help me to not justify any selfish motive or action. Please help me to allow the Holy Spirit to control my thoughts, actions, and attitudes.
• Lord, thank you for your grace your show to me each day and please help me to demonstrate it to others around me. I want to genuinely love the brethren and seek to encourage them in their walk with you.
• Lord, help me to accept the reality of suffering that comes from a sin cursed and dominated society in which we live. Help me to glorify you through suffering.