Hopeful Mercy

Toward a New Creation
Life on God's Terms

Living under God's Mercy

Peter 1:3-9 The Message

A New Life

^3-5 What a God we have! And how fortunate we are to have him, this Father of our Master Jesus! Because Jesus was raised from the dead, we’ve been given a brand-new life and have everything to live for, including a future in heaven—and the future starts now! God is keeping careful watch over us and the future. The Day is coming when you’ll have it all—life healed and whole.

^6-7 I know how great this makes you feel, even though you have to put up with every kind of aggravation in the meantime. Pure gold put in the fire comes out of it proved pure; genuine faith put through this suffering comes out proved genuine. When Jesus wraps this all up, it’s your faith, not your gold, that God will have on display as evidence of his victory.
^8-9 You never saw him, yet you love him. You still don’t see him, yet you trust him—with laughter and singing. Because you kept on believing, you’ll get what you’re looking forward to: total salvation.

For Reflection

Most of us do not know the depths of darkness that many of us suffer.  We have little understanding of profound hopelessness.  We have little experience of the incapacitating depression of the soul.
Hope is the absence of that darkness.  Hope is the rational for living.  God is the only life-giver.  God is the victory over hopelessness.  In God you have more tomorrows than yesterdays.

Pray

for the hope that transforms each of us.  Pray so that you may witness to the hope that comes from the Holy Spirit which resides in us all.  Pray for the salvation only the realization of hope exemplified in the life, death and resurrection of Christ.