1 Peter 2:1-5
Therefore, rid yourselves of all evil, all deceit, hypocrisy, jealousy, and all slander. Like newborn babies, crave the pure milk of the word so that by it you may grow up with the result being salvation. Certainly you have tasted that the Lord is good! As you come to him, the Living Stone, rejected by men but chosen by God and precious, you also, like living stones, are being built as a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, in order to bring spiritual sacrifices that are acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
Dear Heavenly Father,
As we hear your Word recorded by Peter (inspired by the Holy Spirit), we are reminded of two things. First, by faith, we get rid of the things our bodies would want that are loveless towards You and others. Then, second, the importance of being in and craving Your word, as though our life depends upon it. We live in a sinful and hostile world where we are constantly being bombarded and attacked by seen and unseen forces that want to destroy our faith and take our hope of eternal life away from us.
The only thing which can save us from all those attacks is you. By your word, we hear the forgiveness Jesus has won for us on the cross, and about the faith the Holy Spirit began in us, he restored our broken spirit to You. We pray that You will refresh and feed us through these words before us today.
Lord, we know you are good; we trust your love and mercy that caused you to send your one and only Son to make amends for all our sins. Please let all who read and hear these words know they have the forgiveness won for them by Your Son, our Savior.
Peter reminds us many have and will reject Jesus—the Living Stone—which means they also reject You; however, their rejection does not cause Your love and mercy to be any less for us. We pray that Your Holy Spirit will deliver to us by faith! So, what the world rejects, we ask that You continue to set apart for Your kingdom. Please continue to change and prepare our hearts so that You can use us to be a part of and build Your kingdom. As Peter wrote, we are a holy priesthood bringing spiritual sacrifices. Let us share the forgiveness of sins, salvation, and eternal life with those around us. Amen.
Written through Pastor Roger Emmons
Through faith, you receive complete forgiveness Jesus won on the cross, and by faith, you trust your sins are forgiven. This makes you not only an heir but also a building block of God’s heavenly kingdom.