Daily Devotion 09 May 2020

Matthew Earl2020-05, Devotional
Create a peaceful space to pause, and allow yourself to feel God’s presence alongside you, as near to you as your own breath. In following the reflection below, as a church we will draw closer to God and to one another as we grow in faith and deepen our sense of belonging to God.

1 Peter 1:3-5 ‘A Living Hope’

3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! By his great mercy he has given us a new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 and into an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, 5 who are being protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

‘Peter Went Out and Wept Bitterly’
by Ally Barrett, charcoal on paper

Peter, one of Jesus’ disciples, regretted denying that he knew Jesus when he was asked three times before Jesus was crucified. We know he felt great regret because we are told he then wept. Now here, in the opening of this letter he says to his readers, spread over parts of Asia Minor and who were facing persecution and suffering, that they should hold on to the hope that Christ was alive.

Many people who rely on daily services of all kinds, whether they are from Emmanuel, others who are lonely and homeless or with medical conditions, are finding life particularly tough at the moment.

We may have wondered how we were going to keep busy, but may have discovered or rediscovered talents that we could put to good use in future. We may even have found the time to do things that we did not in the past! In the same way, the apostle Peter was a different man after the first Pentecost, as the leader of the early Church. His name, given by Jesus, means ‘the rock’ and we, too, can hold on to the living hope, Jesus Christ, who guides us through difficult times.

I am fond of the hymn ‘Great is Thy Faithfulness’ by Thomas O. Chisholm (1866-1960) – and particularly the verse which says:

Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth,
thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide;
strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow,
blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside!

Prayer:

Lord God,
as the ‘rock’ in our lives,
help us to be alert to your wishes and to live our lives according to your will.
There are many who are suffering.
Help us use our gifts for others, so that they, and we,
may know you better
as Friend and Saviour. In Jesus name,AMEN.

Image © 2017 Ally Barrett https://reverendally.org/clipart/.
Reflection and Prayer © 2020 Matthew Earl.
A printable version of this Daily Devotional can be downloaded from here
All material reproduced by permission under CCL 1226356