DAILY DEVOTIONAL – January 12, 2021
“Already Ready”
Prayer: Our God and Redeemer, You are our shelter from the storm…our only real and present help in trouble. Jesus You know we live in a world filled with trouble; a world where the battle for our hearts and minds rages without rest. We take refuge in You and in Your Word. Strengthen us in our minds and hearts to stay faithful in the good fight of faith. Amen.
Scripture: 1 Peter 1:13-16
13 So prepare your minds for action and exercise self-control. Put all your hope in the gracious salvation that will come to you when Jesus Christ is revealed to the world. 14 So you must live as God’s obedient children. Don’t slip back into your old ways of living to satisfy your own desires. You didn’t know any better then. 15 But now you must be holy in everything you do, just as God who chose you is holy. 16 For the Scriptures say, “You must be holy because I am holy.”
Devotion – “Ready Already”
I believe it was Benjamin Franklin who was first quoted as saying “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” Putting on a $40 helmet to ride a sporting vehicle exponentially multiplies its worth in the event of an accident when compared to the cost of medical care, and especially when a priceless life is at risk. The cost of adequate lighting, a security system or neighborhood watch program is pennies when compared to value of what could be lost as the victim of a crime.
What’s true of prevention is also true of preparation, especially when it comes to our lives of faith. Even just 15 minutes every day in quiet contemplation of God’s Word and in prayer with the Almighty God is better for our body and soul than the most organic, free-range and high fiber cereal. We live in the reality of sickness and disease, natural disasters and man-made disasters. Paul says in Romans 8 that all of creation, not only humanity but the creation itself moans and groans for deliverance. Illness, violence and the danger of everything from volcanic eruptions to tornados are all the moans and groans of creation, longing for salvation and deliverance.
Until the day when Christ returns and brings to fullness the salvation and deliverance He has won for us through His death and resurrection, we do well to live prepared. And what is true for our physical lives by way of preparation and prevention, is infinitely more important for our spiritual lives. Peter said in our text for today, “So prepare your minds for action and exercise self-control. Put all your hope in the gracious salvation that will come to you when Jesus Christ is revealed to the world.” Paul puts it this way in Ephesians 6 “Be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.”
As we read through the Scriptures and especially the NT where the Apostles and early church are proclaiming the Name and Good News of Jesus, we no doubt see how the Devil can be outright belligerent and visibly aggressive towards believers. Along with the Apostles, the church has always been persecuted in horrific ways for their faith. That continues even today, and we who live in America, who at least for now do not wake up afraid for our lives because of our faith, need to regularly and earnestly pray and cry out to God for the persecuted church.
That being said, here in America, the lack of visible torment and persecution by no means indicates a lesser need to daily prepare our most important muscle; our mind. Again as Peter said, “Prepare your minds for action.” The Devil is the father of all lies the Bible says, and he is an expert at subversion and deception. Billions of marketing dollars are spent to quietly, slowly and cunningly trick you into thinking, feeling and walking in the ways of this fallen world rather than walking in the Word following Christ. The Devil works hard to make us question and ultimately reject the Truth that we know in Christ. We should never rest in our preparation each day, because the Devil prowls constantly, using this broken world to attack our minds to try and slowly sway us into following the world’s way of self-justification and relative moral truth that aims to satisfies the desires of the flesh.
This is why daily preparation for the Christian, those who know God’s revealed will and Word, is so important. Temptations are constant, and on our own we cannot protect our own minds or hearts. We are all vulnerable to having what we hold most dear defrauded by the constant attack against our faith and worldview. Friends, someone is always concerned about your faith. If it’s not you, concerned and concentrated each day on the things of God, then it’s the Devil who is concerned with leading you away as far as possible from the love and grace and salvation that we have freely in the blood of Christ.
Later in the same 1st epistle of Peter that we read from for today’s text, Peter says in chapter 5, “Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, 7 casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you. 8 Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.”
I love the words of Proverbs chapter 3 that reminds us how important daily preparation is in God’s word; intentionally keeping His Word front and center in our minds and hearts.
“My son, do not forget my teaching,
but let your heart keep my commandments,
2 for length of days and years of life
and peace they will add to you.
3 Let not steadfast love and faithfulness forsake you;
bind them around your neck;
write them on the tablet of your heart.
4 So you will find favor and good success
in the sight of God and man.
5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
and do not lean on your own understanding.
6 In all your ways acknowledge him,
and he will make straight your paths.
7 Be not wise in your own eyes;
fear the Lord, and turn away from evil.
8 It will be healing to your flesh
and refreshment to your bones.”
Although we absolutely need to prepare each and every day in our faithful devotion as disciples of our Lord Jesus, and although the attacks of the world and the Devil are real, we need not be afraid. The Lord has already won the victory on the cross! Until His return, He has left us with the power of His Spirit and Has promised to be our strength and defense through the Word He has given to us. As people of faith, grounded and prepared by the Spirit of God through His Word, we can go confidently into the world each day and proclaim with Paul in Romans 8, “What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? 37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
The peace of the Lord be with you always, and remember that God has forgiven yesterday, is with you today and has already taken care of tomorrow. Amen.
