1 PETER 1:3-9 – “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.”
THEME OF THE DAY: THE BELIEVER’S MOST PRECIOUS INHERITANCE. Our Bibles tell us a lot about the inheritance God has for His children. In the abundance of everlasting love, our Heavenly Father promises us an inheritance which is beyond language to describe in its beauty, majesty, and awe-inspiring richness.
In addition to the scripture of the day, here are two references from the Ephesian letter revealing God’s heart toward us and our inheritance . . .
“In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will” (Ephesians 1:11).
“For this reason, because I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints, I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers, that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might” (Ephesians 1:15-19).
All our blessings and inheritance come from the Father through the Son, the Lord Jesus. We receive nothing apart from the Son. And the following story illustrates the value and what we have in the Son, the Lord Jesus. It also shows us the proper response to the Son. Ivor Powell tells the story of a rich man who died and left no heirs.
“When his household goods were auctioned off, an elderly lady dressed in shabby garments was the only one to bid on the picture of the dead man’s son. It had been greatly cherished by the wealthy father because his only child had died at an early age. But the crowd that had gathered for the sale showed no interest in it. When the woman who bought the portrait was asked why she wanted it, she said she had been the boy’s nurse many years before and had loved him dearly. Later she examined the picture closely and noticed a bulge in the heavy paper on the back. Making a small cut, she removed an envelope which turned out to be the man’s missing will. The document very clearly stated that he wanted to leave his property to the person who still held dear the memory of his beloved son.”
PRAYER: Father, I praise You for my inheritance that is not only heaven, but You, Your Son, and Your Spirit.
REFLECTION: In Jesus, we are joint-heirs and recipients of all the rich spiritual blessings from our Father.