1 Peter 3:8-10
To sum up, all of you be of one mind, having compassion, brotherly love, kind hearted, and humble in spirit; not returning evil for evil, or insult for insult, but giving a blessing instead; for you were called for the very purpose that you might inherit a blessing. For whoever desires to love life and see good days, let him keep his tongue from evil and his lips from speaking deceit.
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The apostle Peter was writing to the family of God (us) who were scattered and living as aliens. {1Pt.1:1} It was a letter that was intended to strengthen and encourage the assurance of their salvation as well as their confidence in God's love.
That is certainly a very important message for us in these troubled times today. It was and is a message, like those of James and Paul, of how we are to rejoice and be giving thanks through the midst of all of the trials and tribulations that we encounter day by day. {1Pt.1:6}
We the children of God must first and foremost be of one mind for we are perfected in unity as Jesus said. {Jn.17:23} And remember that as Solomon wrote two are better than one for their labor, if one can prevail against him, two shall withstand him; and a threefold cord is not quickly broken. {Ecc.4:9,12} That will also empower us to be humble in spirit as today’s verse says and give all the glory to God and His Son Jesus Christ.
James wrote that the tongue is like the little rudder on a great ship that directs the path it takes {Jas.3:4-5} and Peter is instructing in today's verse that if we desire to love life and be blessed we have to control our tongue. God spoke through the prophet Isaiah and said He had formed a people to declare His praise, {Is.43:21} and now here in this letter of Peter he writes that we have been called out of darkness and into His marvelous light to proclaim the Lord's excellencies! {1Pt.2:9} God made everything with a purpose; our tongues give us the ability to taste and see that the Lord is good just as David wrote. {Ps.34:8}
The Lord desires that we have joy, so we have been given, been filled with, and are told to walk in, the fruit of the Holy Spirit which starts with love and joy. {Gal.5:22-25} We should, as Paul wrote, be walking always in the triumph of Christ {2Cor.2:14} That will happen as we rejoice, pray without ceasing and give thanks in everything! {1Thess.5:16-18} God does not just tell us that He would like to see that victory happen—He tells us how to make it happen, real victory magnificent and big time!
"Sing to the Lord a new song, sing His praise from the end of the earth! You who go down to the sea, and all that is in it. You islands and those who dwell on them. Let the wilderness and its cities lift up their voices, the settlements where Kedar inhabits. Let the inhabitants of Sela sing aloud, let them shout for joy from the tops of the mountains. Let them give glory to the Lord, and declare His praise in the coastlands.
The Lord will go forth like a warrior, He will arouse His zeal like a man of war. He will utter a shout, yes, He will raise a war cry. He will prevail against His enemies.” (Isaiah 42:10-13)
REJOICE IN THE LORD ALWAYS |