1 Peter 5-9.5.22
Scripture
1 Peter 5:8 NLT
“Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour.”
Observation
Peter is giving advice to the Elders and young men of the church. He is reminding the Elders to live a godly life, and to be good examples to the other members of the church. He also reminds them of their responsibilities of leading the people God has entrusted them with; To serve willingly, to please and honor God. Finally, Peter warns them to keep alert! Keep their guard up against the enemy and all the sinful traps he may lay against them.
Understanding
Don’t take the enemy lightly. Stay alert!
There used to be a show on TV titled “When Animals Attack”. I would watch episodes here and there and it never seemed to surprise me just how dumb some of these people can be. You have people playing or trying to get close to these wild animals. Then, the next thing you see, are these animals pouncing on them…clawing, scratching, and biting them! HELLO?! They are WILD animals for a reason! This isn’t Disney where you befriend these creatures and perform these sing-a-longs with them!
As funny as that may sound, we as Christians can find ourselves treating our enemy, the Devil, in the same manner. We may think we have control over these potential sinful situations in our lives. We even allow ourselves to get close to it. We think to ourselves, “nothing is going to happen. I got this under control.” Then BAM!!! The enemy has got a hold of us and we are now fighting tooth and nail for our lives. We may come out of it okay, but the damage is already done. It has left a scar now in our lives.
The verse I chose today reminds us that our enemy is like a lion, who is prowling around, just waiting for someone to devour. So I wanted to take a moment to remind us all just who we really are up against. The Bible tells us he is very cunning and deceiving. He is a murderer and the father of lies. So don’t be fooled by him. Keep alert like Peter reminds us here. Keep an eye out for potential pitfalls in our lives. Stay clear of them. Abide ourselves with The Holy Spirit and arm ourselves with the power of God’s Word. It’s the only way to combat against our enemy.
“Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” -James 4:7
“Be on guard. Stand firm in the faith. Be courageous. Be strong.” -1 Corinthians 16:13
Life Application
Set up guard rails to avoid pitfalls.
Guard rails along the sides of the roads are used to help prevent people from driving into the sides of hills, driving off cliffs, and even used to prevent drivers from driving on the wrong side of the road. Needless to say, they are life savers. We can set up “guard rails” in our own lives to prevent us from heading into sinful behavior. It can be something as simple as giving your spouse your email password or phone access. It can be not hanging out with certain people. It can be not watching certain shows or movies. It can even be not listening to certain music. Whatever the case may be, it is wise for us to set up these “guard rails” in our lives to help prevent something really bad happening to us. So maybe we can evaluate things in our lives that we may struggle with. Think of ways to set something up to help prevent us from going down that certain road. You never know, we may need them one day to help save us from our own disaster.
“Temptation comes from our own desires, which entice us and drag us away. These desires give birth to sinful actions. And when sin is allowed to grow, it gives birth to death.”-James 1:14-15
-Moses Gaddi
1 Peter 4 - 9.2.22
Scripture - What stood out?
1 Peter 4:6
For this is the reason the gospel was preached even to those who are now dead, so that they might be judged according to human standards in regard to the body, but live according to God in regard to the spirit.
Observation - What does it say?
Peter writes encouragement to the believers in Christ that will suffer for and because of their belief in Christ. He reminds them what this is all about – life. God wants us all to live. And it’s not just the living that God is interested in, but those that are spiritually dead as well. The ones who do not know God, are alive in the body, but dead in spirit.
Understanding - What does it mean?
I can still hear speaker and author Jo Saxton’s voice via internet streaming video in that (potentially) British accent. “And I heard God ask me, ‘When will I be your donut, Jo?’”. The author had shared a story about her childhood. A story about longing. A story about comfort. A story that led to a most amazing donut in a donut shop window. And the author shared that over the years that donut came to embody security and comfort which the Lord revealed to her by asking her that question, “When will I be your donut?”
As I write this journal Lord, my mind and my body are screaming for a deeply fried, crispy salty treat. To help me deal with the stress. To help me deal with my day. To help me deal with my life! How easily I have replaced my comfort in you Lord, life in Your Spirit, with a comfort that isn’t alive. But I don’t want that for myself or for my family. I want us all to run to you for comfort first.
Life Application - How can I apply this to my life today?
I want to live according to God in regard to the spirit!
Lord, thank you for drawing me nearer to you this morning. I will not give up this battle against my flesh. Holy Spirit help me to live according to God’s Spirit! Help me to withstand what the world and my flesh are telling me to do. Lord for my life application today, I feel like the Holy Spirit is asking me to take that first step, again. Help me to fast this morning and afternoon Lord. I gladly give up my breakfast and lunch if it will bring my spirit into greater alignment with yours. Help me to discipline my spirit today Father. Help me to discipline my body.
1 Peter 3-9.1.22
Scripture
1 Peter 3: 8-9
8 Finally, all of you, be like-minded, be sympathetic, love one another, be compassionate and humble. 9 Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult. On the contrary, repay evil with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing.
Observation
Peter talks about the importance of us doing good always, not just when we want to.
Understanding
Obviously we’re all human, right? When someone wrongs us, or when we have a grievance against someone, we’re not always going to treat them with kindness or respect, I’m sure most of us would want to yell or hurl vile insults at people. It's a very common issue, a very human issue. The thing we need to keep in mind is what Peter tells us to do here; do good always, not just when we want to, but when we don’t want to. When we’re insulted or treated badly, we need to do good and not reciprocate those things, repaying them with blessings instead.
Life Application
We need to keep this on the forefront of our minds, not conforming to the patterns of this world when we’re treated badly or hurt, instead choosing to go the complete opposite direction by repaying those who wrong us with blessings.
-Anakin Cerda