Read the transcript from today's video devotional.
Peter begins our Verse of the Day, one of his letters, with gratitude, which is a surprising way to begin—because the context here is that Peter is writing to God's people who are not doing well. They're scattered. They're under persecution. They're suffering. You might expect that Peter would begin his letter by saying, hey, I'm really sorry that you're going through this. But he doesn't. He gets right to gratitude. He actually begins by saying, "Praise be to God."
Why Gratitude in the Midst of Suffering?
Why is that? I think the reason is the best thing for Christians when they are suffering, when they're miserable, is not co-misery. What Christians need when they're suffering is encouraging and sustaining truth. They need that ballast to help them endure whatever it is that they're enduring. Peter knows that. He reminds his readers here of who they are in Christ, he reminds them of what's happened to them, and he mentions a few things.
Great Mercy
First of all, he mentions great mercy—they have received great mercy from God. Mercy is when you don't get a punishment or consequence that you deserve. God had been merciful to them. If you're a Christian, God has been merciful to you. He's withheld His judgment. He reminds them of that good news: great mercy.
Born Again
The second thing that he talks about is being born again. He reminds them that they've been given new life. Paul talks about this in Ephesians—that before we were Christians, before we were brought to Christ, we were dead. The Bible says we were dead in our sin, and God caused us to be born again. He breathed new life into us. He made us new creations, where the old is gone and the new has come.
A Living Hope
Peter reminds them—you've received great mercy, you've been born again—and then there's a third thing. The ESV really captures this because it says "born again to a living hope." That is a hope that is not dead. A hope that is alive. A hope that is not dependent on circumstances, and not a hope that comes and goes depending on whether or not life is going well for you. It is an enduring hope that is rooted in a very certain future. He reminds them of these things that they would be encouraged as they endure their suffering. Thomas Brooks wrote, "Hope can see heaven through the thickest clouds." They have these thick clouds over them—the pain, the persecution, the suffering that they're under. Hope can see through those clouds and be reminded of who they are in Christ. That's exactly what Peter sets out to do.
Remember Who You Are
Peter is essentially saying, yes, I know that you are suffering. Yes, I know that things are hard—but you've got to remember who you are. You've been shown great mercy. You have been born again. You have been brought to a living hope, and nothing and no one can take any of that from you. Ask yourself today—what circumstances are trying to kill your hope? Then remind yourself of God's great mercy. Remind yourself that you have been given new life. Remind yourself that you have a most certain hope.
