The apostle Peter offers a profound summary of our identity in Christ in 1 Peter 2:9-10. In the process, he uncovers a wellspring of hope for everyone who follows Christ.
But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy.
Trace Your Path
In the first place, no one can appreciate the light like those who have been in darkness. The apostle Paul encourages to forget “those things which are behind” (Philippians 3:13). But sometimes a backward glance can help us appreciate just how far we’ve come.
How has your life changed since you gave it to Christ? What differences do you see in yourself? What differences do other people notice? By taking measure of what God already has done in your life, you can light the spark of hope as to what your future holds.
Find Your Strength
In the second place, Peter was writing to a church that was being persecuted. They had little obvious reason to hope. Yet Peter is firm in his assurance that God will fully equip His own to face opposition and challenges. When our strength and endurance falters, God will renew us. He will re-energize us. He will give us what we need to stand strong and thrive.
Energize Your Worship
In the third place, our very calling is hopeful in nature. According to Peter, our job is to “proclaim the praises” of God—to worship Him with everything we’ve got. In order to do that, however, we need to understand God, to get a sense of who He is and what He’s done.
We need to take a fresh look at His creation, the wonders and intricacies of His loving design. We need to immerse ourselves in the stories and passages of the Bible that reveal aspects of God’s nature and detail His awe-inspiring works. We need to talk to others about God’s work in their lives. We need to read the words of the psalmists and others who committed themselves to worship—men and women who were inspired to write words like this:
When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers,
The moon and the stars, which You have ordained,
What is man that You are mindful of him,
And the son of man that You visit him?
The more we learn about what God has done, the more we understand about what He’s capable of. How He brings ultimate good from even the worst circumstances. The more we immerse ourselves in the business of worship, the more hope we will ultimately find.
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The FIRST EVER Orthodox Study Bible presents the Bible of the early church and the church of the early Bible.
Orthodox Christianity is the face of ancient Christianity to the modern world and embraces the second largest body of Christians in the world. In this first-of-its-kind study Bible, the Bible is presented with commentary from the ancient Christian perspective that speaks to those Christians who seek a deeper experience of the roots of their faith.
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