Third Week of Lent ~ Friday

By His wounds you are healed

By His suffering, you are free

He never sinned, but He paid the price of sinners, He did no wrong, but wrong was done to Him, He was always just, but was treated unjustly.

How then could we complain or be brought down when we face opposition or even when we face wrong when we have only done right.... Let’s read today’s passage and see

- Read 1 Peter 2 

This passage is great in the New International Version.

- Devotional Thought

The way of the world is to retaliate, to react and to respond in defence. But that’s not what we see spoken about here. We see words like “submission” and “rejection” and “suffering”. We also see “unjust” and “astray”.

We see that the path Jesus is on, the way Jesus walks, isn’t admired, commended or eagerly received. It’s against the grain.

But we are free people! Watch how it does not say we are free on our own accord but free to be slaves of the Lord. A submission we freely take because Jesus freely took it all for us. For in this lifetime, we will have opposition and struggle, we will not be taken seriously, we will be offended and we will probably offend. But even the reaction people had towards Jesus was predicted, the prophecies foresaw that He would be rejected, that He would be disowned, that He would be mocked.

But does the reaction of people change the work that Jesus came to do on earth?

No! The way the world received or didn’t receive Him didn’t reflect the impact of His walking out His calling.

Take heart, friend. If you are following the call of God over your life, you may often feel cast aside by the ones you are working so hard to share Jesus with. But do not respond with a worldly view. Do not retaliate, for your Father in Heaven sees the good things you are doing and you will be richly rewarded in heaven. Working for the reward of the acceptance here on earth will give you a “short fuse” reward. One that will go as easily as it came. But a reward with God, when you push past the hurt you recieve from otehrs, your Father sees and your Father takes note.

It was not for the immediate response of those around Him that Jesus died, although it was for them, He fulfilled the call of His Father, the one that received His Father's “well done”.

We’re not looking for applause, we’re not looking for heads turned to admire us. We’re looking for our Father's quiet but permanent “well done”.

The “well done” for following me.

- Passage to focus on 

““He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth.” When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly. “He himself bore our sins” in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; “by his wounds you have been healed.” For “you were like sheep going astray,” but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.”

‭‭1 Peter‬ ‭2‬:‭22‬-‭25‬ ‭NIV‬‬

- Image for today 

Today’s image is of a light, a light that cannot be covered by the darkness. Jesus came as the light of the world and people tried to shut him down so he could not shine. But they couldn’t stop him, they didn’t realise that his sort of light was untouchable, that nothing done in the strength of aHis Father and for his father could be stopped or thwarted.

May we be that same light to others.

- Prayer 

Father God

It’s hard when others come against us. It’s hard when they turn their back and they do not appreciate us or value our walk or calling in life. But we know that’s not our goal. We ask for your strength to persevere through opposition and to always respond in love. To remember why we continue following you and to share that message with everyone everyday.

We admire how you continued to the end, you went all the way to the cross for us even when we did not even know you. You forgave us long before we could say thank you.

And we continue for you.

We want nothing more that to walk with you closely, every day of our lives.... continue to show us what that means and how we can do that in our every day, every moment!

Amen.

- Active idea

Who has treated you unfairly that you know the Father wants you to forgive? How can you share that forgiveness with them, even if it means that they walk away with the ‘upper hand’ in the worlds view.

Thank you for joining me today! Hope to see you again soon!

Have a blessed Lent

~ X ~