I Peter 1:8-9 - Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

Have you ever witnessed a miracle? We hear that there are miracles every day, but we do not usually witness them ourselves. We read about Jesus walking on water or raising the dead, but we wouldn’t dare try and stand on a lake in a graveyard yelling at the tombs. We like to say sentimental things like “Every sunrise is a miracle.” But, we know it is not. It is simply a beautiful part of God’s created order. Truth be told, we do not think we see a whole lot of miracles in our lifetimes.

But let me ask you this: do you believe that Jesus is risen from the dead? Do you believe He is your savior? Do you trust that His blood was shed for you and that He has won salvation for you? If you answered “yes” to these questions, then I have some good news for you: the Holy Spirit has worked a miracle in your life!

Yesterday we heard how faith is a miraculous gift given to us by the Holy Spirit. It comes by hearing, not by seeing. (Romans 10:17, I Corinthians 5:7) In a day and age where we can’t even believe what we see on TV, we have trained ourselves to be skeptics. We are a part of a doubting culture. We say, “I have to see it to believe it,” and even then, we doubt.

It is no wonder that Peter is so amazed at those who read his letter. You believe without seeing! You love him without ever looking at Him! It took touching the wounds of the risen Jesus before Peter’s buddy Thomas believed. But you believe and are filled with joy only after hearing! How is this possible? Well, it’s a miracle, that’s how!

Father, your Son Jesus performed great miracles as He carried out His earthly ministry. But, even after seeing those, many did not believe. I thank you that you have given me faith apart from sight, but that you have spoken it into my heart. Forgive me for demanding signs and wonders from you. Teach me to be ever attentive to your Word and sustain me in my faith. AMEN!

*The symbol on the top of this devotional stands for “Verbum Domini Manet in Aeternum.” It is a Latin phrase which means “The Word of the Lord endures forever.” This phrase, based on I Peter 1:24-25, served as the battle cry of the Lutheran reformers as it reminded them that God’s Word alone was sufficient to teach them God’s will. The symbol was on flags, banners, uniforms, and even swords as a sign of unity among those who suffered for confessing their faith in Christ alone. *

Pastor Bob

Labels: word-remains-forever