As we step into a new year and hope to see God clearly, that is with 20/20 vision, we are going to use the rest of this week to meditate on a few verses that will help set the tone. Let’s get started.
Read the bible verse that follows and record your immediate reaction in terms of emotions and thought. What is it making you feel? What is it making you think?
2 Peter 1:3
[God’s] divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.
~The Apostle Peter
Now meditate on the above bible verse for 2-10 minutes and then record your reflective response (consider taking a short walk to enhance your reflection time).
Read through the surrounding verses of 2 Peter 1:1-11. Record any further thoughts or emotions that arose as a result of your reading.
2 Peter 1:1-11
1 Simon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ,
To those who through the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ have received a faith as precious as ours:
2 Grace and peace be yours in abundance through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.
Confirming One’s Calling and Election
3 His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. 4 Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.
5 For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; 6 and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; 7 and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. 8 For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 But whoever does not have them is nearsighted and blind, forgetting that they have been cleansed from their past sins.
10 Therefore, my brothers and sisters,[a] make every effort to confirm your calling and election. For if you do these things, you will never stumble, 11 and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Footnotes:
2 Peter 1:10 The Greek word for brothers and sisters (adelphoi) refers here to believers, both men and women, as part of God’s family.
Formulate a prayer based on the start of this new year about:
• God’s divine power working in you (verse 3)
• Participating in the divine nature (verse 4)
• Living a godly life (verses 3, 5-8)