1 Peter 1:3—The living hope
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead…1 Peter 1:3
Blessed. Great mercy. Born again. Living hope. Resurrection from the dead. This is the vocabulary of the redeemed. These are the flashing neon lights pointing ever upward in a dark and fallen world.
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ…
Your God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ is blessed. Before time began He was blessed; He has remained blessed throughout history; He is blessed now; and He will always be blessed forever and ever. He will never not be blessed—this fact stands as a pillar of truth for all eternity.
… who according to His great mercy…
Everything that God does, He does in mercy—the mercy which endures forever. It never runs out; it never stops; it never ends.
God plans according to mercy; He works behind the scenes according to mercy; He displays His power according to mercy; He enacts His great promises according to His mercy. He moves silently among us according to His great mercy.
… has caused us to be born again…
It is according to His great mercy that you have been drawn to Him. Your curiosity, your hunger, your restless questions—all were stimulated and agitated by His tender mercy toward you. And that moment you recognized your very real need for a Savior? It was brought to you by the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ—according to His great mercy. You responded; the Son of God entered your life by your invitation; and you were born again.
… to a living hope…
One key ingredient that is birthed within you when you are born again is an undeniable, unquenchable, unfading hope. This hope is not the fleeting, fickle hope of one who wishes to win the lottery or who hopes for the sun to come out tomorrow; no. This hope is alive. It was born within you when you were born from above; and it permeates your very being every day, quietly propelling you to keep going; prompting you to look up; helping you to stay strong; and steadying you like an anchor. As you fix your hope on the living God, you come to realize that He carries you through the ups and downs of life as your personal Guide, Instructor, Counselor, and Security Guard. This is your birth right—an indestructible living hope.
…through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.
Your hope is supported by nothing less than the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. Hope that clings to anything less is wasted energy, but the hope that draws its strength from that certain dawn when the stone was rolled away and the Lord rose victorious over death and the grave—now that’s a hope that’s been to hell and back—and lives triumphantly to rejoice over every other foe through the resurrection of Jesus from the dead.
Dorothy
…we have fixed our hope on the living God…1 Timothy 4:10a
© 2015, Dorothy Frick
Read More1 Peter 1:1-2—Greetings
Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who reside as aliens, scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, who are chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, by the sanctifying work of the Spirit, to obey Jesus Christ and be sprinkled with His blood: May grace and peace be yours in the fullest measure. 1 Peter 1:1-2
I have a confession to make: Whenever I start one of the New Testament letters, I zip right through the opening part, scanning until I land on the “meat” of the section.
If you’re anything like me, you do the same thing. And, like me, you run the risk of passing over some life-changing, mini-explosions of truth.
Take Peter’s first letter, for example. His salutation is loaded with power-packed nuggets.
To those who reside as aliens, scattered…
The very minute these folks opened their hearts to the redemptive touch of Jesus Christ, they became branded as enemies of the state and of traditional religious concerns. As a result, new converts were forced to go underground or to pull up roots, scattering in all directions from the epicenter of anti-Christian persecution. They were now aliens in their own land…and foreigners in the lands to which they escaped.
Not only were they displaced physically—making them aliens in a natural sense—but as Peter pointed out later in his letter, by their faith in Jesus, they had also become spiritual aliens to the entire world system:
“Beloved, I urge you as aliens and strangers to abstain from fleshly lusts which wage war against the soul” (1 Peter 2:11).
Like them, you, too, are an alien to this current world system if you have received Jesus as your Lord. As uncomfortable or uncool as that may seem, it is the rock-bottom, sober truth. You have been born from above; never again are you to take your cues or calling from the course of this world—your directives and identity from here on out are from the Father and His Word.
… who are chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father…
You may have been chosen last on every team; you may have always sat home on prom night, dateless; you may still experience being overlooked or dismissed by your peers. But there is One—the only One who really matters when all is said and done—who searched through the annals of time and found you…and chose you—from among the cream of the crop—to be His own. And now, through faith in His Son, you are His. You are chosen. You will always be His chosen one.
… by the sanctifying work of the Spirit…
There is so much that degrades and defiles on this earth. None of us have remained unaffected by the downward spiral of this world’s fallen system. From gloomy depression to fiery rage; from uncontrollable lust to uncontainable greed; from insatiable violence to inconsolable self-pity—each of us has experienced the tyranny of sin. Whether you are stuck in the perpetual role of the defeated underdog, or you find yourself groping blindly in unending invisibility, or you’ve become bloated with the heady hot air of perceived self-importance—none of us have emerged entirely unscathed.
Enter the Spirit of God upon the cry of a man when he first recognizes his need for a Savior. From that very moment the sanctifying work of the Spirit begins—setting the man apart as God’s child and continuing with the man for the rest of his days. Though the man falls a time or two, the Spirit of God will pick him up and dust him off and will continue to guide him and help him throughout life. On the day the man takes his last breath, the Spirit of God will be with him and will usher him to his eternal home.
… to obey Jesus Christ and be sprinkled with His blood…
The Holy Spirit sets us apart; the blood of Jesus cleanses us from all unrighteousness. Because of this, we are free agents—no longer bogged down in the quagmire of sin and destruction—liberated to obey Jesus, the Shepherd of our souls, and to be His disciples.
May grace and peace be yours in the fullest measure.
This is the heart of the New Covenant. Grace has been poured out upon you for the taking. Peace—depth of peace in the midst of the world’s turbulence—has been reserved for you in Christ. Grace and peace are stored up to your account, ready to be accessed, never running out, fully supplied for you in this life and throughout the span of eternity. In the fullest measure, grace and peace are yours…in Christ Jesus.
Dorothy
© 2015, Dorothy Frick
Read MoreGod’s supplemental insurance policy, Part 6
How blessed is he who considers the helpless; the Lord will deliver him in a day of trouble. The Lord will protect him and keep him alive, and he shall be called blessed upon the earth; and do not give him over to the desire of his enemies. The Lord will sustain him upon his sickbed; in his illness, You restore him to health.” Psalm 41:1-3
This entry is the last in this series. If you haven’t read the other parts, go ahead and scroll down to read them first. There are qualifications to be met in this policy; you need to determine if you want to pay the price before you take advantage of it.
How blessed is he who considers the helpless… The Lord will sustain him upon his sickbed; in his illness, You restore him to health.
Changes stemming from a fundamental transformation in healthcare, governing style, and societal focus are taking hold all around us. Added to this mix is an upswing in the number and virulence of dangerous diseases and pathogens. Because of that, it is essential, now more than ever, that you take to heart the provisions listed in Psalm 41:1-3.
According to the psalmist, you are blessed when you consider the helpless; the benefits that you receive in return will be a lifeline and refuge in times of instability and uncertainty. By blessing those who are less fortunate, you are investing in a policy with great dividends for your life, both now and in the future. And as you listen to the promptings of the Holy Spirit and step out to assist someone else—whether in word, encouragement, listening, finances, service, or giving of your resources—you will build upon God’s stability and safety in your own life and will sow blessing into your later years.
Folks have expressed concern over what will happen to the quality and ease-of-access to healthcare in the years to come. In light of this, a very interesting provision of policy #PS41-1-3 is “The Lord will sustain him upon his sickbed; in his illness, You restore him to health.” This provision is supplemental to “The Finished Work” policy (TFW) which was made available to you through the atoning death of Jesus Christ.
In the TFW policy, Jesus bore your sicknesses and carried your diseases, and by His stripes you were healed (see Isaiah 53:4-5, Matthew 8:17, and 1 Peter 2:24). He did so freely and without charge to you. He heals all your diseases (Psalm 103:3b). He sent His Word to heal you and delivered you from your destructions (see Psalm 107:20). He desires that in all respects you prosper and be in health, even as your soul prospers (see 3 John 2).
Now is the time to soak up these truths—truths straight from the Word of God. Yes, the times are challenging and will likely become more challenging still, but God has equipped you—by His Word, by the rich heritage of precept and example handed down through the decades and centuries past by men and women of God, and by the Holy Spirit Himself—to stand fast in the face of every contrary decree against the truth.
Into this mix add Psalm 41. The number of helpless folks could very well increase even more in the near future, and the Lord is poised to help them; He longs to help some of them through you. As He leads you to this one or that, granting you wisdom and insight as to how to help, don’t be afraid to part with of some of your hard-earned resources in the process. The expenditures will be worth it, and the dividends will be rich.
Always hang onto your #PS41-1-3 policy, and keep it up to date. It is a privilege and a pleasure to sow into it as the Lord leads—whether in large amounts or small. While others around you may be in dread, you can smile with confidence at your future as one who keeps your policy current. Will you get sick? Policy #PS41-1-3 states that the Lord will sustain you upon your sickbed. Will you become ill? Policy #PS41-1-3 also declares that in your illness, God will restore you to health.
This amazing policy will remain in effect despite what happens around you. As you purpose in your heart to obey the Lord in considering the helpless, you will be blessed.
- The Lord will deliver you in the day of trouble
- The Lord will protect you and keep you alive
- You will be called blessed upon the earth
- You will not be delivered to the desires of your enemies
- The Lord will sustain you upon your sickbed
- In illness, the Lord will restore you to health.
How blessed are you! You will be sustained; you will be restored!
Dorothy
Read MoreGod’s supplemental insurance policy, Part 5
How blessed is he who considers the helpless; the Lord will deliver him in a day of trouble. The Lord will protect him and keep him alive, and he shall be called blessed upon the earth; and do not give him over to the desire of his enemies. The Lord will sustain him upon his sickbed; in his illness, You restore him to health.” Psalm 41:1-3
This entry is the fifth of a series. If you haven’t read the first four parts, go ahead and scroll down to read them first. There are qualifications to be met in this policy; you need to determine if you want to pay the price before you take advantage of it.
Blessed is he who considers the poor…You will not deliver him to the will of his enemies. (NKJV)
Included in “The Finished Work” policy (TFW), made possible by the shed blood of Jesus, you will find this mission statement: “For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil” (1 John 3:8b). You can rest assured that the living God, your Insurer, is very aware of the schemes, plots, and attacks against you; it was because of your Number One enemy, the devil, that He was manifested in the flesh in the first place—to destroy Satan’s mastery over your life. Remember, everything included in the TFW policy is yours free of charge and paid for in full.
However, even though the TFW policy is more than enough, God has also offered you the supplemental policy, #PS41-1-3, as a help to you, assisting you as you navigate the unseen realm of your faith. And one provision of this policy is that He will not give you over to the will of your enemies.
Have you ever experienced the rage of someone who hated you for no reason? Have you ever been targeted by those who seemed intent on destroying your reputation—or your life? Although someone may, at this very moment, be zeroing in on you to intimidate or ruin you, there is one thing they haven’t counted on—God will not deliver you to the will of your enemies. God will not leave you or forsake you to their devices.
Here’s how you have already paid into this policy, #PS41-1-3: you’ve given to the poor and have blessed the helpless. You have been sensitive to the leading of the Holy Spirit, and you lent a hand to someone in need. Moved with compassion, you gave your shoulder to a rejected or grieving soul to cry upon; you yielded to the Counselor as you gently spoke His Word to the hurting. You are blessed—you have considered the helpless. You are doing your part.
Blessed is he who considers the poor…You will not deliver him to the will of his enemies.
No matter what strategies or tactics your enemy may employ, God has pre-strategized to give you the edge. You can count on it—God will not deliver you to the will of your enemies.
It is written, “A thousand may fall at your side and ten thousand at your right hand, but it shall not approach you. You will only look on with your eyes and see the recompense of the wicked. For you have made the Lord, my refuge, even the Most High, your dwelling place. No evil will befall you, nor will any plague come near your tent.” (Psalm 91:7-10)
Despite the threats you may see or hear, if you have made the Lord your refuge and the Most High your dwelling place, no evil will befall you. He will not deliver you to the desire of your foe.
It is also written, “‘No weapon that is formed against you will prosper; and every tongue that accuses you in judgment you will condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their vindication is from Me,’ declares the Lord” (Isaiah 54:17).
No matter how powerful the weapon formed against you may be, it will not prosper. When you are accused in judgment, you yourself will condemn every word spoken. This is your heritage, and your vindication is from God. He will not deliver you to the desire of your enemies.
You, like David of old, may be under extreme attack. “O Lord, how my adversaries have increased! Many are rising up against me. Many are saying of my soul, ‘There is no deliverance for him in God’” (Psalm 3:1-2).
Like David, however, you can proclaim with confidence, “But You, O Lord, are a shield about me, my glory, and the One who lifts my head” (Psalm 3:3).
No matter how many rise up against you, no matter how they mock or jeer, the Lord is a shield for you. He is your glory and the lifter of your head. And He will not give you over to the will of your foes.
I challenge you to meditate often upon these truths. Treasure God’s mighty provision of deliverance in your heart. Boast before Him about His faithfulness toward you as you approach His Throne, and make mention of His personal kindness wherever you go.
You are a blessed one; you consider the helpless. God will not deliver you to the will of your enemies. Bank on it.
Dorothy
Read MoreGod’s supplemental insurance policy, Part 4
How blessed is he who considers the helpless; the Lord will deliver him in a day of trouble. The Lord will protect him and keep him alive, and he shall be called blessed upon the earth; and do not give him over to the desire of his enemies. The Lord will sustain him upon his sickbed; in his illness, You restore him to health.” Psalm 41:1-3
This entry is the fourth of a series. If you haven’t read the first three parts, go ahead and scroll down and read them first. There are qualifications to be met in this policy; you need to determine if you want to pay the price before you take advantage of it.
How blessed is he who considers the helpless…he shall be called blessed upon the earth.
An interesting aspect of the #PS41-1-3 insurance policy is that it provides coverage for the reputation of the holder. I know of no other policy like it.
However, having taught eighth grade for over two decades, I became very familiar with an obsession that gripped many of the youth I taught—and indeed much of the culture: FAME. At any cost. A huge majority of my young teens craved to be famous and wanted to grow up to be known by the masses as the “it” singer, dancer, musician, basketball player, football player, actor, actress, model, or stand-up comic. For so many of them, the district’s mandated career education curriculum was valuable only so long as it could support their dream of popularity and renown. And during my career, as social media became more widespread, the intensity of this obsession only increased.
…he shall be called blessed upon the earth.
Fame, wealth, and popularity add up to being “blessed”, right? In the minds of many Americans (and even Christians), the answer to that question is YES. Yet, how many famous individuals do we hear stating their thankfulness for all their blessings—their fame and fortune—and then they appear nude in their next film, video, or photo shoot, or they end up on the wrong side of the law, cussing out some fan, striking a photographer, resisting a police officer…or taking their own life?
I wonder if we really “get it” as a society anymore.
So many precious, talented young ones from Christian homes have been “blessed” with fame and wealth; yet sadly, their lifestyles all too often decry the God they once said they loved. Instead of despising these individuals, however, my heart groans for them to see truth and to turn back to the God of their childhood. Are the adults in their lives, for fear of judging them, enabling the demise of their talented prodigies as they plunge unchallenged into destruction? Ezekiel 33:6 comes to mind: “But if the watchman sees the sword coming and does not blow the trumpet and the people are not warned, and a sword comes and takes a person from them, he is taken away in his iniquity; but his blood I will require from the watchman’s hand.’”
What does “blessed” mean, then? Perhaps, in light of our culture’s current use of that word, it’s helpful to take a look at what it doesn’t mean.
Jesus said this. “Woe to you when all men speak well of you, for their fathers used to treat the false prophets in the same way” (Luke 6:26). Evidently, having others speak well of you isn’t always the same thing as being called blessed in the earth. Sometimes, popularity is not a great thing; sometimes it is an indication of being an accomplished man-pleaser.
Ask a few of the heavyweights in the Bible about popularity. How about Joseph when he was thrown into the pit and imprisoned? How about David when Saul sought to hunt him down and kill him? How about Moses when he fled into the desert from his fellow Israelites in fear of their rage at his attempted intervention? Ask Jeremiah about popularity when his prophecies were called false by the leaders of his time, and he was placed in stocks (see Jeremiah 20) or thrown into a cistern (see Jeremiah 38). Ask the apostle Paul if he was the most popular preacher of his day. Ask the Lord if He prioritized popularity during the three years of His earth ministry.
Indeed, Paul said this about the sum total of what others would call his personal blessings: “…whatever things were gain to me, those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ” (Philippians 3:7). As for being called blessed during his own lifetime, other Christians said of Paul, “His letters are weighty and strong, but his personal presence is unimpressive and his speech contemptible” (see 2 Corinthians 10:10).
How blessed is he who considers the helpless…he shall be called blessed upon the earth…
Discern your own life by God’s standards. You may not always feel blessed; others may not always perceive you as blessed; but if you honor God in considering the helpless, you are blessed whether it is apparent or not.
There’s a stark contrast between the one who ministers—often secretly—to a needy soul and the one who is obsessed with how he appears to others. When you consider the helpless, you will be called blessed upon the earth—perhaps not by others, but most definitely by the Lord. “And your Father who sees in secret will Himself reward you openly” (Matthew 6:4b).
In this age of glitz, glam, and greed for prestige, you are free not to walk in lock-step with the false values by which this culture derives its measure of worth and effectiveness. You are free to obey God, however He may lead you—and as you go, consider the helpless. The door to true blessing—the eternal variety—will open before you. And no man will be able to shut it. Ask Joseph, David, or Moses. Ask Jeremiah or Paul. Ask Jesus Himself.
Consider the helpless, and your blessings will be blessings indeed.
Dorothy
How blessed is he who considers the helpless…he shall be called blessed upon the earth…
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