July 16th, 2023
Devotional
“Keep Awake!” - 2 Peter 3:1-10, 17-18 and Matthew 24:42-44
Monday: “Reminders” - 2 Peter 3: 1-2
I am a big fan of reminders. Whenever I have a conversation with folks that has action steps, I will ask them, do you need me to send you an email or text about that as a reminder? I like reminders because I know that we are prone to forget. I know, personally, if I don’t write it down, I’m more prone to forget as well.
Peter seems to share some of those beliefs about reminders needing to be written down. He tells people at this point in the letter that he is writing them as reminders to stimulate you in wholesome thinking.
What do you need to be reminded about this day in your own faith journey? And what do those reminders stimulate in terms of action for you, here and now this day?
What is something you need to be reminded about in your walk of faith?
Prayer: God of love and light, you send people to remind us of who you are and your promises to us. May we respond by offering those reminders to others as well, all rooted in our love for you. Amen.
Tuesday: “Scoffers” - 2 Peter 3: 3-9
We probably have all encountered scoffers in our lives. Those who mock us simply for the sake of mocking itself. Sometimes it is rooted in their own beliefs. Other times it is grounded in wanting to be opposed to us. Either way, scoffers exist.
And scoffers have existed. Peter is writing to this group of believers about scoffers who are saying that Christ cannot be trusted because he had not yet come again. Of course, Peter quickly refutes this by focusing on how God’s timing is different than our timing.
What do you do when you encounter scoffers? If we aren’t careful to guard our hearts, bitterness can sink in, especially if we have been hurt. What can you learn from this section of scripture about how to respond to scoffers?
What do you have to guard against the most in your own heart when you encounter scoffers?
Prayer: Lord, we confess that sometimes we do not reflect you or your love when we respond to scoffers. We speak out of anger or fall into dismay. May our hope be so planted in you, that even the jeers of scoffers cannot shake our faith. Amen.
Wednesday: “Day of the Lord” - 2 Peter 3:10
The first group that asked me to lead a Bible Study on the book of Revelation were college students. As we talked about what they desired to learn, I agreed to lead the study, but only if they were willing to commit to being there each week as they were able, with open hearts and open minds.
Why did I ask this of these college students? Because whenever we are talking about end times, or as Peter describes it, “the day of the Lord”, many people enter with preconceived notions of what they think scripture says instead of reading what it actually does.
Even 2 Peter’s first audience had some preconceived notions in terms of timing. To which Peter gives an account and paints a picture of what is to come.
What are some of the preconceived notions you have about the second coming? Are they scriptural?
Prayer: Lord, we thank you for being patient with us. You meet us again and again, coxing us to put our hope, faith, and trust in you. We know that this is not always easy - yet you offer us an abundance of grace.Thank you, O Lord. Amen.
Thursday: “On Your Guard” - 2 Peter 3: 17-18
When you hear the words “be on your guard”, what comes to mind? For me, it is the image of the person in the watchtower, shared in this week’s sermon, but also a call to vigilance. When I sit vigil at someone’s bedside, as they pass on to glory, I keep watch. I don’t always need to fill silence with words or need to moving around or doing anything. When we sit vigil, we gather and wait.
We seem to have lost the art of vigilance in today’s culture. We think that we need to fill the space, but Peter reminds us that what we are doing during this time of waiting and watching is growing in grace.
Those are beautiful words, but of course the resulting question is how. How do we grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus? One way I would suggest is spiritual disciplines. Those time tested ways of connecting deeply with the heart of God that transform us in the process. Prayer, scripture reading, fasting, silence, solitude, worship - the list goes on and on. The question is how is God calling you to grow during this period of vigilance in your own life?
What is one new spiritual discipline you can try in order to grow in grace?
Prayer: Lord, you thank you for the tradition of the ages that has been passed down to us to help us grow in love and connection with you. Speak to our hearts this day and call us to take our next faithful step, as you meet us right where we are. Amen.
Friday: “Keep Watch” - Matthew 24: 42-44
No one knows. When folks ask when the second coming will be, this is one of the scriptures that I point them to, even though I know that it is not always the most satisfying of answers. It is, however, a true answer.
I wonder if one of the reasons that we are not given an exact date and time, other than our human constitution not being able to handle it, is this call to keep watch. To be ready at any day and any time.
This answer does not let us off the hook or allow us to delay tending to our spirits until a later day. Instead, it calls us to keep watch here and now, looking for the Lord.
How do you prepare for the coming of the Lord?
Prayer: God of all power and authority, help us to keep watch at all times in a way that draws us close to you and tends to our spirits, we pray. Amen.
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