It is so easy to be distracted in day to day life. From texts and emails to anxiety about life, there is always something that can hold our attention. How do we, in this day and age, stop being preoccupied with the world, and instead continually praise our Lord?
In Peter’s first letter to God’s chosen people, he writes that in God’s great mercy He has “caused us to be BORN AGAIN to a Living Hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to obtain [an IMPERISHABLE INHERITANCE]” that will not tarnish and not fade away! Peter writes that it is RESERVED in heaven for us, and we are PROTECTED by the power of God ! This protection comes through our faith, which is for our “salvation, ready to be revealed in the last time”. (1 Peter 1:3-5)
As we focus on this truth, our gaze shifts to the eternal. We were (past tense) born again into a living hope. Because of this, we can (present tense) have faith in the Lord and His protection and trust that our future (looking forward to what is to come) is imperishable! And not only can we trust that the object of our inheritance, which is eternal life with Christ, will be safe for us to receive, but we can also rejoice in the fact that the quality of our inheritance will not change. It will not tarnish or fade away!
Peter writes that in THIS (our imperishable inheritance!) we can greatly rejoice! He writes that if it is necessary for us to be distressed by various trials, for a short while, proof of our faith may be found, and this faith, proved through testing, may result in praise! (1 Peter 1:6-7)
Our praise to the Lord is the outcome of our faith in Him, who is eternal! Jesus Himself had faith that produced praise while He was on the cross. In Psalm 22, David is looking forward to Christ’s time on the cross and writes, “…yet you are holy, You who are enthroned upon the praises of Israel.”(v3) It was Christ’s faith in the Lord that allowed Him to praise because Christ’s current problem was nothing in light of God’s eternal glory!
Likewise, an outward expression of our faith can also result in the praise of God from others. In the Book of Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego had faith in the Lord; that His imperishable inheritance could withstand any punishment King Nebuchadnezzar could sentence them to. Through their faith, the Lord saved them from a fiery furnace, and the king praised “the Most High God” for protecting them.
In the busyness of day-to-day life, take a moment to reflect on our Father in heaven and the eternity He has set before us: His eternal love for us, our imperishable inheritance, and His eternal glory. Ask yourself, am I living in a way that prepares myself and those around me for His eternal kingdom?
When the distress and distractions of this world come, fix your eyes on Christ and praise Him!
By: Grace Saint John
