Chapter 1
For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. 2 Peter 1:5-7 – We can always be growing in our faith. When it says “supplement your faith,” understand it saying that we need to add to and nourish our faithful walk with God by growing in the following things. Continually be growing in brother affection and also self-control. Our danger is when we think we have “arrived” and no longer need to grow in our faith. My thought over that is if you aren’t face to face with Jesus in Heaven yet, then we can still be growing in our life of faith. Today, while the entire list may seem daunting to work on, focus on one in particular and grow in that area for awhile. God wants us to grow, and here’s some areas He directed us to work on that will truly benefit us. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 746
For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Peter 1:8 – Ineffective or unfruitful. This verse reminds me of the fig tree that Jesus came across when He was hungry. Coming to it He found it bearing no fruit, not offering to Him the things He designed it to offer. He then cursed the fig tree, showing His heart toward ineffectiveness and unfruitfulness. We are called to be bringing a continual offering of our life to Jesus. Every day giving ourselves to the mission of pointing people to Jesus. In order for us to stay on point, scripture here gives us some qualities to increase in. Things like virtue, knowledge, self-control, and brotherly affection. You want to find yourself remaining effective and fruitful? Keep seeking to grow in these qualities. For we don’t know when Jesus will return. Will He find in you a life mirroring that of the fig tree? One given so much and had the potential to bear much fruit, but chose not to. Or will Jesus find a tree seeking to produce the best fruit it can to offer to Him. Let’s set our mind on bearing much fruit. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 2008
Chapter 2
For, speaking loud boasts of folly, they entice by sensual passions of the flesh those who are barely escaping from those who live in error. 2 Peter 2:18 – For those of us who have been Christians for awhile, it’s easy to forget how hard the life change is going from being an unbeliever to a committed follower of Jesus. That’s what we see being spoke of in this passage, that those who are new in the faith are being tempted by the world in so many ways to come back to their old way of life before God. We who are more mature in the faith need to step up our involvement within the lives of new believers. We need to be counseling them, talking with them about their temptations, and showing them what it looks like to grow up in their faith. Who is someone that is still quite immature in their faith that you know? How can you be more involved with their maturing? Remember they are in a crucial season of life, you can help them see how beautiful a mature life in God is. And bonus for you, one of the best ways to grow our faith is to help someone else grow. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 747
These are waterless springs and mists driven by a storm. For them the gloom of utter darkness has been reserved. 2 Peter 2:17 – I’m sitting down today beginning my studies for Sunday’s message and find this chapter mirroring that of the main character in the chapter I’m studying. A waterless spring and a mist drive by a storm. There will be people that are going to seek to have a place of influence in your life. Some will be a spring full of fresh water that will be used to refresh you. Some though will plant themselves and pretend to be one of those good springs when in truth they have no water. They have nothing refreshing to give you because their purpose in your story is not to help you. It’s hard to accept this sometimes, but not everyone in your story is good for you. These are people that will offer you refreshment but only leave you thirsty. A simple way to figure out if someone is going to be healthy for you is look at how deep their walk with God is. The deeper their walk, the deeper their spring is of water. Those who come to God daily in His word, those who pray, those who serve and make their days about God’s mission, they are a spring of fresh water you want close. Yet those who have no real walk with God are a waterless spring, not even having enough water for their own life let alone giving you some. Yes, be close to those who fall more into the “waterless spring” category but for the purpose of you refreshing them. When it comes though to the people you’re finding support and wisdom on life from, make sure they first are being refreshed deeply by Jesus. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 2009
Chapter 3
Since all these things are thus to be dissolved, what sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness…2 Peter 3:11 – That’s a solid question, what sort of people ought we be? If Christ is coming back and judgement will be on the earth and all things will be made right, what type of people ought we be? If you knew your parents could come home at anytime, wouldn’t you knock off the bad behavior? If you knew your boss was on his way back into the office, wouldn’t you wrap up the laziness and get back to work like you should have been all along? Jesus is coming back, so how ought we to live? I believe even without me making a long list of things you know what God wants. He wants you to love Him and love people. Let’s start that today because we don’t know if we have a tomorrow. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 748
But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance. 2 Peter 3:8-9 – Why is God taking so long? I don’t know what context you might be saying that in, but I’m confident at some point in your story you’ve said this. Why is God taking so long at bringing me that special someone? Why is God taking so long at bringing the healing I need or the clarity on this confusion situation? Mine right now is why are things taking so long for the adoption process for one of our daughters, especially when it’s causing her so much pain the longer it gets drawn out. Our passage looks at the coming of Jesus again and is asking that same question, why is it taking so long? It reminds us though that God’s timing is far different than ours. It always reminds us the point of why we’re here. It’s not to be married, to be whole, or to have a family, it’s to guide others to repentance. All those others things are deep, wonderful blessings, but the point of our story is to help people to Jesus. Meaning Jesus may allow us to stay in a difficult season, waiting longer in it than we ever expected to, all for the point of helping someone in that season come to know Him. When we understand that Jesus’ heart is first about the world coming to know Him, it helps us navigate that question of why is He taking so long. Maybe because the moment you step out of this season the opportunity to tell the people in that season about Him will be over. In season and out, share the message of Jesus and trust His timing on your move out of this current season will come precisely when it’s needed to. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 2010
Daily DEVO 