- For you were straying like sheep, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls. 1 Peter2:25 – I just saw on Facebook this video of a lamb being rescued. It had somehow gone deeply into this underground pipe and the rescuers had to dig out the pipe and cut through the top of the pipe just to reach the lamb. Thankfully they saved it, but it reminded me, just like this passage today did, that we need a Shepherd. Sometimes we can find ourselves in a deep, dark place. We need someone to leave the ninety nine and come to our rescue. We also need a Shepherd to lead us and teach us how to stay away from those dark places. Think about how many times this past year you would have found yourself in one of those dark places if it wasn’t for the direction that God has given you in your life. We all need a Shepherd, thankfully God welcomes all to come into His flock. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 742
- Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the emperor. 1 Peter 2:17 – This is how a citizen of Heaven should live on earth. If you are a follower of Jesus, God has given you these four ways you are to interact with others in a Christ-like way. First, honor everyone meaning God isn’t giving you permission to pick and choose who to respect. Every person that comes your way should receive your respect, whether they deserve it our not, because God said so. Second, to love the church body. I heard this in a podcast, if you say you love Jesus but hate the church, it’s like looking at me and saying you love my head but hate everything else about my body. The church is the body of Christ and Jesus is the head of the church. You can’t love one and not love the other. Third, to fear God which means never to forgot who He is in your story. He is this close friend who never leaves, but God is also the one whose vapor of His breath creates galaxies. Finally, honor the emperor. Don’t play naïve here saying you can skip this because we don’t have an emperor, you know exactly what this is saying. To show respect to your political and governing authorities. Do they all deserve it, for sure not, but that’s not the command. You are to show respect for them because God placed them where they are at. Some of you need to deeply check yourself here and the sin you are in concerning this fourth one. Remember, your life is so much more than this earthly one, don’t live as if this is all there is. You have been bought with a very high price, live holy. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 1856
- Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God. Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the emperor. 1 Peter 2:16-17 – You are free. Due to the grace, sacrifice, and love of Jesus you have been freed from your bonds. You now have a choice in the direction of your life and how you use the time given to you. Do not by the way you choose to live trash the sacrifice of Jesus. Yes, you have been granted freedom, but as our verse says, don’t use that freedom to live in sin knowing that it’s all good because you’ll still get to Heaven someday. As scripture says, yes certain things are permissible to you, but not all things are beneficial. You’ve been given this freedom for a purpose. Not to entertain your sinful desires, but to serve. You are free, so dedicate your whole life to the work of God because nothing is now holding you back from that. You are free, so now choose to lift up and honor every single person because you can now. You are free, so love your family in Christ passionately because you aren’t being held back by the chains of anger, envy, or pride anymore. You are free, so now choose to respect the leaders God has established because you are free to do so. Use the freedom that cost the blood of Jesus for the purpose it was given to you for…for Jesus. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 2004
Daily DEVO 