When partnering with your family to know, love, and follow Jesus, we strive to create and share content filtered by the Head-Heart-Hands model.
Head: the knowledge of God and His Word | Heart: the personal connection from scripture | Hands: a missional mindset
HEAD
Today is our first day reading the book of 1 Peter. 1 Peter is actually a letter written by the apostle Peter to the Christians living in Asia Minor (modern-day Turkey). You may recognize the author of the letter - Peter was one of Jesus’ twelve disciples, and we learn a lot about him in the Gospels and the book of Acts. What’s your favorite story about Peter? Maybe when he walks on water with Jesus or when Jesus gives him a miraculously huge catch of fish? My favorite story about Peter is when Jesus forgives Peter for denying him and gives him the job of “feeding (His) sheep,” meaning that Peter is going to be an important leader in the early church. In this letter, Peter is obeying Jesus’ command to take care of the family of believers by encouraging and instructing them.
HEART
These believers definitely need some encouragement. They are being persecuted and mistreated because of their faith in Jesus. Peter reminds them that because of Jesus they have a “living hope.” The Greek word that Peter uses for hope can be translated to “confident expectation.” Many times when I use the word hope, I really mean a wish or a tentative belief. I may “hope” my team wins the game or that I make a good grade on the test or that I get invited to the party...but those are just desires without real certainty behind them. Peter says that we have a hope that we can be confident in, and - more than that - our hope is living. This hope abides with us, perseveres with us, and walks with us through life’s tough days. This hope doesn’t mean that everything is going to turn out the way we want it to. Instead, this living hope gives us the confident expectation that God is with us and for us through all of life’s joys and sorrows. We desperately need this hope because, as Peter says in verse 6, in this life, we will “suffer grief in all kinds of trials.” Trials come in many forms: unkind peers at school, disappointments, failures, or the loss of someone we love. Through all of these trials, God never leaves us, and Peter states that these trials are actually treasures that strengthen our faith which is “of greater worth than gold.” Confession: I don’t always love “all kinds of trials,” but I am so thankful that God never leaves us during the hard times. Even more than that, He turns our hard times into something beautiful.
HANDS
Can you think of a time when you or someone you love faced something difficult and God brought something beautiful out of that time? Take some time to thank God for His faithfulness. Do you know someone who is facing a trial right now? Take some time to pray for them and send them an encouraging message.
Prayer: Thank You, God, for giving us a living hope. Thank You for bringing good things out of the difficulties of life. Please strengthen my hope in You, and help me to encourage others who are facing trials. I love You! In Jesus’ name, Amen.