January 25 Daily Devotional

Bible Reading

1 Peter 1:1-11:

¹Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to the strangers scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia,
²Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied.
³Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
⁴To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you,
⁵Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
⁶Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations:
⁷That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:
⁸Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory:
⁹Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls.
¹⁰Of which salvation the prophets have enquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you:
¹¹Searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow.

Devotional

The apostle Paul says, "We are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for? But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it." Even when our faith is severely tried, hope still clings to the divine promises and patiently waits for their fulfillment. Hope in the believer is not dead, but living. Peter says, "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively (living) hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you."

This living hope we have as an anchor of the soul. The anchor holds the ship, and keeps it from being dashed upon the rocks. So our hope keeps us from suffering spiritual shipwreck. We read in the letter to the Hebrews, "Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which entereth into that within the veil; whither the forerunner is for us entered, even Jesus, made an high priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec." Through him we have peace with God, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. Christ, who as our high priest has entered into glory, is "a son over his own house; whose house are we, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end." That hope maketh not ashamed. "The hope of the righteous shall be gladness: but the expectation of the wicked shall perish." "The wicked is driven away in his wickedness: but the righteous has hope in his death."

Prayer

Merciful God and Father, when we are tossed about on the sea of life, may we not suffer shipwreck; but may our anchor hold within the veil. May we be enabled to rejoice in hope of the glory of God. May we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end. For Christ's sake, and in his name we pray. Amen.

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Scripture in Devotional: Rom. 8:24, 25; 1 Pet. 1:3, 4; Heb. 6:19, 20; Rom. 5:12; Heb. 3:6; Rom. 5:5; Prov. 10;23; 14:32.

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