Not Just Like Him - in Himنموونە

Day 2 - When Grace Has the Final Word

What would we find if we looked at Peter’s resume?

• Lead Ear Cutter (John 18:10)
• Chief Denier of Christ (Luke 22:54–62)
• Misdirection Executive (Matthew 16:22)
• Sleepy Prayer Partner (Mark 14:37–40)
• Inconsistent DEI Attendant (Galatians 2:11–13)

And yet—his reference? Jesus Christ, who still endorsed him, even with the failures.

So when Peter writes, “But you are a chosen people…” (1 Peter 2:9, NIV). It’s not just theology—it’s testimony. He knew what it meant to be chosen before proving anything, and chosen even after messing up everything.

When we read this verse, we often ask, “What does this mean for me?” And that’s important—but asking only that is like playing piano with one hand: You hear something true, but miss the full harmony.

To hear the full sound, we start with: Why did Peter write this, and who was he writing to?

1 Peter 1:1 says he’s writing to people “living as foreigners” (NLT). Cappadocia—one of the places mentioned—was full of underground cities, where people hid during intense Roman persecution. These Christians were literally displaced, hunted, and isolated.

And this isn’t the only place we find exiles in the Bible. The Israelites lived as foreigners. Hebrews 11:13 says the faithful “ [admitted] that they were foreigners and strangers on earth” (NIV). Exile for them was a part of the refining process. It was where God shaped His people when they had no land, no king, and nothing to lean on but Him.

Most of us haven’t had to run for our lives for our faith. But Peter’s life still invites us to ask: What does it mean to be chosen when I don’t have any qualifications? Or when I’ve disqualified myself?

And his audience prompts another: When everything and everyone around me screams I’m forgotten or unworthy, what does it mean that God still says I’m His?

A prayer I often return to is: “God, who do you want to be for me in this situation, that I would not experience if I did not find myself here? Who do I want you to be?” In that conversation, intimacy with God will be found.

Being in Christ means our identity comes from the Father. There are seasons that bring real pain, and we need space to grieve. God doesn’t rush us past our sorrow—He meets us in it, inviting us to pour out our laments. But over time, what may have felt like a contradiction to who we are can become the very place where He speaks most tenderly. In the midst of it all, we begin to hear His voice again—reminding us that we are still His, still chosen, and still deeply loved.

• Reflection: What does it mean that God chose you before you did anything to perform or prove yourself?
• Practice: Share with someone a way in which you feel disqualified and ask them the same. Take turns praying that each other would have a deeper understanding of your chosenness.