Concluding Our Week in 1 Peter

Pause:

Before you start reading this devotional, take a moment to stop what you’re doing, slow down and focus on Jesus. 

Pray and ask him to open your eyes to see as you read the scriptures, and to open your ears to hear as you wait on the leading of the Spirit.

Read:

2 Peter 2v4-6: “As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, ⁵ you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. ⁶ For it stands in Scripture:
“Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone,
a cornerstone chosen and precious,
and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.”

Going Deeper:

As we have journeyed through 1 Peter this week, there is a lot of encouragement that we can draw from its chapters and truths in the midst of the trials we are facing in our own lives.

But as we end our week of devotionals in 1 Peter, I want to lift our eyes directly to Jesus.

Peter, here, calls Jesus our Cornerstone: “The critical stone in the corner of the foundation that ensures that a stone building is square and stable.”  Jesus is the one who gives stability and shape to the Church and our lives, and is the most critical part of our lives.

With that in mind: Are you coming to Him (v4) at this time?
Is He critical in your life? 
Are you in ongoing, intimate relationship with Him? 
Is He the one you cast your burdens onto? 
Are you bringing your sin to Him? 
Are you finding your comfort and peace in His presence?
Are you finding your identity in Him, while so many other things are being shaken?
Is He the rock that you are standing on, and building your life on?
Are you trusting Him with your life, your family, your finances, your business, and your future?

From time to time our focus can easily turn from Jesus onto other things. Maybe that is where you find yourself as you read this. Maybe you even feel surprised, because you have been going through the motions of life. Even reading your Bible, praying, attending your Group over Zoom and engaging with the Church community. But you still realise that your eyes are not on Jesus, and you are not trusting Him at this time.

In Matthew 16, Jesus asks His disciples who the crowds think he is. And they give Him a number of answers. And then He personalizes the question, and focuses on them, and asks: “But who do you say that I am?” (v15)

Peter replies and says: “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” (v16) 

At this time, it is not enough to just know about who Jesus is.
It’s not even enough to have had a close relationship with Him in the past. 
It is not enough to have the right answers to the questions, to know the right scriptures, to have a good christology, and to be able to say the right things.

At this time we need to come to Him. We need to actually believe what we know. We need to actually trust in Him with our lives and the things most important to us. We need to experience the truths that we read and talk about for ourselves.

For some of us, we need to take our eyes off other things and refocus on Jesus this morning, and be reminded of who He is.

For some of us, we need to repent of the things we’ve been looking to for help, for salvation, and for security at this time, and to trust in Him.

For some, we might be starting out in all of this, and we get to grow in finding salvation and peace inside of Him today.

Wherever you land today, the invitation is open: Come to Him.

Pray:

Respond to God in prayer by speaking to Him about what stood out to you from this passage this morning.

Listen:

What is the Holy Spirit saying to you this morning?

Apply

What are you going to do in response to what God is saying to you from the text and by the Spirit?