The Everyday Prayer

Re:Verse passage – 2 Peter 1:16-21 (day four)

The longer we live on this earth, the more we long for the return of Jesus. With each passing day, we become more fully aware of the darkness of this world and long for the day where “there will no longer be any night; and they will not have need of the light of a lamp nor the light of the sun, because the Lord God will illumine them; and they will reign forever and ever.” (Rev. 22:5)

Peter reminds us that though that day is still in the future, we’ve been given a great light now. Through the testimony of the apostles and the prophets, which is the Word of God, we have been given a lamp to shine in a dark place. When we encounter this light, it awakes something in us to respond. We want to share this light with anyone who will see it. When we encounter the Word, we become like David, who proclaims in Psalm 57, “Awake, my soul! Awake, harp and lyre! I will awaken the dawn.”

Awaken the dawn in someone else’s life by sharing this light with them.

Re:Verse passage – 2 Peter 1:16-21 (day three)

…until the day dawns and the morning star arises in your hearts…

Dietrich Bonhoeffer used to talk about “religionless Christianity.” What did he mean by that? Concepts employed by theologians often leave room for debate. But this particular phrase almost certainly envisions a world in which Christ’s presence has so totally influenced and formed the lives of his disciples that the forms of religion are no longer necessary; the systems of governance and commerce and societal interaction shall exude justice and compassion and humility and service. For now, we experience these world systems as an extension of the individual will to power over others, leading to marginalization and poverty and war. But there is coming a time when religion will no longer be necessary, when faith shall be sight, when the morning star arises within. Peter foresaw that it must be so.

Re:Verse passage – 2 Peter 1:16-21 (day two)

So we have the prophetic word made more sure, to which you do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star arises in your hearts. v. 19

I was once at a conference where Michael W. Smith was talking about how his friend, Amy Grant, wrote the song “Thy Word.” She was at a retreat and she had been out walking long past sunset; and as she made her way back to her cabin, she was in complete darkness. She fumbled around for a while in frustration, but then spotted a lamp that was in a cabin window that led her back. That lamp may not have illuminated the entire landscape, but it gave her enough to take one step at a time. This is how prophetic words work in our lives. In the midst of a world walking in darkness, these words offer a step by step path to follow until we get to a place where the day dawns and all the truth is made clear. May we cling to the Word of God as our lamp for each step we take today.

Re:Verse passage – 2 Peter 1:12-15 (day seven)

And I will also be diligent that at any time after my departure you will be able to call these things to mind. vs 15

In modern baseball there is an advanced metric that is being used to grade individual player’s success: WAR- Wins Above Replacement. This metric is gauged by a player’s success compared to a replacement level player in the same position. Essentially, you want other players to not succeed so that you have a higher WAR score. You want your team to realize that you are irreplaceable. You don’t want the person backing you up to take your place.

This is how I have lived most of my life. I have wanted those around me to be so dependent on me that they would see me as irreplaceable. It started with sports, but that mentality carried over to other areas, including my profession… which is ministry. Why would I want my ministry to fail if I departed?

The answer is in the question. It isn’t my ministry, it is God’s. I am not playing a game for individual success. I am a part of a much bigger team that God is using to reach this generation. My job is to work myself out of a job. I should be investing and discipling in such a way that my departure does not bring about a cessation of progress. Rather, when I depart, ministry should continue to flourish because I discipled well.

What about you? Are you living in such a way that your legacy will continue to be carried on when you are gone, or are you living to not be replaced?

Re:Verse passage – 2 Peter 1:12-15 (day six)

“Therefore, I will always remind you about these things—even though you already know them and are standing firm in the truth you have been taught. And it is only right that I should keep on reminding you as long as I live. For our Lord Jesus Christ has shown me that I must soon leave this earthly life, so I will work hard to make sure you always remember these things after I am gone.”  –  2 Peter 1:12–15

Peter understood his role. Jesus had told him, after all, “Feed my sheep.” Peter went from a fisherman to a shepherd, tasked with caring for God’s flock and protecting them from those who would “steal, kill, and destroy.” Until the very end of his life, Peter embraced this responsibility with courage, reminding and encouraging these young churches to remain faithful.

Who are you responsible for? Who has God placed in your life to remind, encourage, and protect? The same God who works in you always intends to work through you—for the good of others and for the glory of His Son.

Be a good shepherd.

Re:Verse passage – 2 Peter 1:12-15 (day five)
Saturday was my favorite day of the week. Why?  That was the day I most likely could sleep late. I could (in theory) wake up whenever I wanted or needed. Monday thru Friday was an early morning wake-up for school. And Sunday was the consistent wake-up for church. What I remember and want to point out, is that there was always a reason and activity for the “wake-up” announcement- school, church, trip, vacation, sports game, activity. Some were more appealing than others. Yet, there was always purpose and opportunity behind every “wake-up sleepyhead!!”

Same here in the Re:Verse passage. Peter is using the same language. “Stir you up” is the translation for a word used in the context of being woken-up from sleep. And with this wake-up message and action there is good reason.  Peter wants to ensure there is attention, focus, activity, and energy needed and given by his readers to this message of the gospel. A good reminder for me to faithfully and continually wake-up and remember the gospel.

Re:Verse passage – 2 Peter 1:12-15 (day four)

Was there something your parents or grandparents would say to you over and over again as you were growing up? Advice or instructions that they repeated, no matter how many times you told them you understood? While that repeated advice might have irritated us when we were young, it certainly sticks with us. As we age, those repeated instructions from loved ones become part of our core memories of them, and we often find their advice did sink in and helped form us into who we are.

Peter says, “I will always remind you of these things, even though you know them…” He doesn’t do this to be patronizing, or to beat them over the head with advice. He does this because he knows that the more he repeats these things, the deeper they will sink into people’s hearts. Peter knew that the aim of the Christian life was to become like Christ, so he repeatedly told those under his care how to do so. His words didn’t just impact the people he wrote and ministered to; it impacted the entire church throughout history. We are being formed by his repeated advice even today. Will you let it sink into your heart and form who you are?

Re:Verse passage – 2 Peter 1:12-15 (day three)

…the laying aside of my earthly dwelling is imminent, as also our Lord Jesus Christ has made clear to me.

Of all people, Peter knew what “laying aside of my earthly dwelling” means, and what it does not mean. If he intends to tell his readers that he’s tossing aside his body in order to “fly away” and live an incorporeal existence, then the message here is that nothing really matters on earth, and — even more shocking — that being human is a flaw,  not a feature. But as “Jesus Christ has made clear” by his own resurrection, not only does human life matter on earth, God will double down on it.

Re:Verse passage – 2 Peter 1:12-15 (day two)

And I will also be diligent that at any time after my departure you will be able to call these things to mind. V. 15

Peter has the heart of a teacher. His desire for the church is not to remember the great things that Peter had done, but rather to be equipped to carry on without him. The legacy of faith is not dependent on personality, but on the character of Christ. Peter’s hope is that the believers know how to discern for themselves what is true, good, and beautiful. People may not speak our name the way we speak of the Apostle Peter, but the legacy of faith that we give our children will speak for generations. Giving people in our care the ability to know truth is a gift. May it be the first we give. May we hope for others to remember our lessons of faith long after they remember our names.