Devotionals for May 5, 2023
Missed a chance to give on Sunday? You can always give online HERE!
READ
2 Peter 3 (the entire chapter)
John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”
Philippians 1:6 “And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day Christ Jesus returns.”
REFLECT
The question from Monday still remains… Where are you now? It is a checkup we should be asking ourselves often as we progress through growth in our faith and obedience to God’s plan.
2 Peter 3 sums up the key points to our progress in Christ. Our faithfulness to Him will be challenged at times and our progress stalled. But this chapter holds much promise to see us through those times and bring us to everlasting joy. The world will always be in opposition to Christ, but that is what strengthens our relationship with Him and causes us to grow.
This chapter is also a reminder of how “BIG” God really is. Our finite minds cannot truly comprehend the enormity of God. To illustrate this, consider verse 8. A long time ago, my youth pastor asked us to imagine a 1-inch square piece of cheesecloth. Next, imagine that cheesecloth dropped in the middle of the largest ocean. The ocean represents God. The cheesecloth doesn’t represent you or me, but the entirety of human understanding and existence. The beginning and end of time as we know it. The sum of everything we know and will know. God flows through everything like the ocean flows through the cheesecloth. There is nothing He is not aware of, not part of, not touching in some way. And we are the smallest part of that fabric.
While it may seem disheartening to see that we are so small compared to God from a human point of view, the real view that counts is God’s point of view looking at us. He loves us. From the beginning He loves us. Before we were born, He loves us. He desires us to be with Him so much that God became part of that small, little insignificant fabric through Jesus who suffered a humiliating death…for us. Jesus being wholly God, rose again to eliminate the penalty for our sins. This God so loves you and I that He did all this and more.
Let the realization that this same enormous God who loves each of us individually and personally, overflow your entire spirit and soul with such joy that you know there is nothing that God has planned for you that you cannot do, nothing you cannot endure, nothing you cannot build for His glory.
APPLY
Q: What is the journey Peter is writing about in 2 Peter 3?
Q: What does Peter write that we should do in obedience to Christ?
Q: In what ways should we be sharing the works God has prepared for us to do? Should we be timid? Remember the God of the Universe has given you this preparation.
SING
“Who You Say I Am” - Hillsong Worship
PRAY
"And don’t let us yield to temptation, but rescue us from the evil one."
God in Heaven, let your Holy Spirit flow through us and give us the strength to not yield to the temptation to hide our light, to keep Your love from others, and feel small and irrelevant. Remind us of Who we belong to and let your Spirit give us strength and boldness to proclaim your glory to the world.
READ
2 Peter 3 (the entire chapter)
John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”
Philippians 1:6 “And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day Christ Jesus returns.”
REFLECT
The question from Monday still remains… Where are you now? It is a checkup we should be asking ourselves often as we progress through growth in our faith and obedience to God’s plan.
2 Peter 3 sums up the key points to our progress in Christ. Our faithfulness to Him will be challenged at times and our progress stalled. But this chapter holds much promise to see us through those times and bring us to everlasting joy. The world will always be in opposition to Christ, but that is what strengthens our relationship with Him and causes us to grow.
This chapter is also a reminder of how “BIG” God really is. Our finite minds cannot truly comprehend the enormity of God. To illustrate this, consider verse 8. A long time ago, my youth pastor asked us to imagine a 1-inch square piece of cheesecloth. Next, imagine that cheesecloth dropped in the middle of the largest ocean. The ocean represents God. The cheesecloth doesn’t represent you or me, but the entirety of human understanding and existence. The beginning and end of time as we know it. The sum of everything we know and will know. God flows through everything like the ocean flows through the cheesecloth. There is nothing He is not aware of, not part of, not touching in some way. And we are the smallest part of that fabric.
While it may seem disheartening to see that we are so small compared to God from a human point of view, the real view that counts is God’s point of view looking at us. He loves us. From the beginning He loves us. Before we were born, He loves us. He desires us to be with Him so much that God became part of that small, little insignificant fabric through Jesus who suffered a humiliating death…for us. Jesus being wholly God, rose again to eliminate the penalty for our sins. This God so loves you and I that He did all this and more.
Let the realization that this same enormous God who loves each of us individually and personally, overflow your entire spirit and soul with such joy that you know there is nothing that God has planned for you that you cannot do, nothing you cannot endure, nothing you cannot build for His glory.
APPLY
Q: What is the journey Peter is writing about in 2 Peter 3?
Q: What does Peter write that we should do in obedience to Christ?
Q: In what ways should we be sharing the works God has prepared for us to do? Should we be timid? Remember the God of the Universe has given you this preparation.
SING
“Who You Say I Am” - Hillsong Worship
PRAY
"And don’t let us yield to temptation, but rescue us from the evil one."
God in Heaven, let your Holy Spirit flow through us and give us the strength to not yield to the temptation to hide our light, to keep Your love from others, and feel small and irrelevant. Remind us of Who we belong to and let your Spirit give us strength and boldness to proclaim your glory to the world.