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Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to His great mercy, He has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. Though you have not seen Him, you love Him. Though you do not now see Him, you believe in Him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls. (1 Peter 1:3-9)
If you think about it, it’s one of the strangest things about Christianity—at least, to an outsider. Peter says it: “Though you have not seen Him [Jesus,] you love Him. Though you do not now see Him, you believe in Him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.”
Because on a merely human level, how odd is it that millions, even billions of people should love Jesus—should follow Him and listen to His words and trust in what He says, even to the point of dying for Him, in some cases—and yet, they have never seen Him? We know Him, but not exactly in the same way that we know other people. Because our lives are 2,000 years later than His in history, and in a completely different part of the world. How weird is that?
But in another way, it doesn’t feel weird at all. Because we do know Him—first, from the Bible, from the stories that are in the Gospels and really, throughout the whole collection of God’s Word. We see the kind of Person He is—interested in us, concerned for our welfare, willing to take all the time and effort necessary to bring us close to Him in love and trust. We see Him going to unbelievable lengths to rescue us from sin and evil—laying down His life for us on the cross, dying in pain and shame—and then rising again from the dead, so that we, too, will live forever. None of this is stuff He had to do—it’s all stuff He did because He likes us, even loves us, and wants us to be with Him forever. That’s His master plan: that we should live together with Him in joy and happiness in a new heaven and new earth which He will create, where there will be no more dying or sadness or evil or shame. The universe will be the way He intended it to be—and we will be there, at His side, enjoying every moment of it. That’s how much He wants you.
WE PRAY: Dear Lord Jesus, thank You for choosing me and making me Your own. Amen.
This Daily Devotion was written by Dr. Kari Vo.
Reflection Questions:
- Think of someone you love. How did you first start loving that person?
- What contacts, activities, and time spent together helped that love relationship grow?
- Are there ways you could do similar things with Jesus?
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