Born Again to a Living Hope
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls. (1 Peter 1:3-9 ESV)
REFLECTION
Jesus Christ has risen! (see Luke 24:6) This fact alone is enough to cause us to praise the Lord and keep the flame of hope ablaze in our hearts, irrespective of what we go through or how we may feel. That said, it is also enough to keep us close to our risen Saviour when we feel discouraged, and it’s enough to keep the faith even when we don’t feel close to the Lord. For we can trust “…that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (see Romans 8:38-39 NLT) Hallelujah!
PRAYER POEM: Sovereign King
Jesus Christ ~ The Sovereign King ~ to You my heart I bring and Hallelujah I sing!
I’ll praise You in victory and in the valley. I’ll praise You in the storm, I’ll praise You as I transform.
As I behold Your beauty, in the hush of every holy hue, may the hum of my heart be in tune with You.
