Holding on to Hope: A Study of 1Peter
Monday, May 10,2021
Today’s reading: 1 Peter 2:1-3
So put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander. Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation—if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good.
By the imperishable seed of the Spirit of God that lives and abides in us (which was included in Amy’s post and verses on Friday) we have been given everything we need to put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander. Warren Wiersbe explains these characteristics in his book “Be Hopeful”, (p. 58) : “Malice” means wickedness in general. “Guile” (or deceit) is craftiness, using devious words and actions to get what we want. Of course, if we are guilty of malice and guile, we will try to hide it, and this produces ‘hypocrisies”. Often the cause of ill will is envy, and one result of envy is evil speaking, conversations that tear the other person down.”
Oh, what an ugly web that can be woven when we are left to our own devices! This hits home. Not only have I been the victim of such, I have been guilty of all these characteristics. So where is the hope in this passage??? The first sentence in the above paragraph has the key: the Spirit of God that lives in us! God’s word nourishes us from the time we are born again until we meet Him face to face. Just like newborn babies need milk to survive, thrive, and grow, the Christian needs God’s word to do the same. The need for milk in the newborn is a natural instinct which signals the desire for nourishment that leads to healthy growth. Once we SEE our need for God’s word and begin to find that nourishment in Christ, our spiritual appetite will increase and we will start to mature. His word grows us up into salvation as we live out our days. His word is GOOD for us! “God’s word has life, gives life and nourishes life” (Warren Wiersbe, p. 57). “Sometimes children have no appetite because they have been eating the wrong things” (p.58). Peter is encouraging the believers in exile (and us) to put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander (v 1) and feed on what He offers.
What about you? Where are you on the spectrum of nourishment? Are you lacking an appetite or maybe just surviving or have you moved into the thriving and growing stages? If you question that, the good news is that it’s never too late. The Spirit of God is in you and the word is readily available . If you find it hard to have the time to read, all you have to do is click below this post and listen to Dayna Moseley read 1 Peter, Chapter 2. You can listen at home, work, at play or in the car and let those words wash over you day after day. The Bible app on your phone has scripture readily available to read or listen to 24/7. There really is no excuse for us to partake in the words that are meant to give us life and grow us up. As Warren Wiersbe says (p. 58), “When Christians are growing in the word, they are peacemakers, not troublemakers, and they promote the unity of the church.” Let’s be THOSE people!
Jesus, You are our living hope! We and in awe of how Your word and Spirit are our life line. Please keep us close to you and take all excuses away to NOT be in Your word. Lord, forgive us when malice, deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander are present in our lives. We pray we stay the course with You to grow and mature in our faith. Lord, You are the cure for what ails us in this human state. May we hunger for the food that nourishes with truth and not fills with junk. We ask all these things in Your precious name. Amen
.https://youtu.be/qVoxZa-Pk9M
