Faith & Love: A One Year Bible Reading Plan - Part 11Sample

Today’s Chapter is 1 Peter 1, and the verses of the day are 1 Peter 1: 6 and 22 (NLT): "So be truly glad. There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you must endure many trials for a little while. You were cleansed from your sins when you obeyed the truth, so now you must show sincere love to each other as brothers and sisters. Love each other deeply with all your heart." Two things stand out for me when I read this letter: The first section of the letter is about the Living Hope of eternal life and, secondly, the call to Holy Living. The LIVING HOPE: In verse 6, Peter reminds God’s chosen people, cleansed by the blood of Jesus Christ, of the joy that they will experience here on earth that is only possible through Christ. He reminds us that we will experience this joy in spite of the many trials and troubles we will face and will have to endure during our short stay here on earth. If we live in and through Christ, we WILL experience joy even when facing the challenges and troubles of everyday life. This is the LIVING HOPE to which Paul refers. HOLY LIVING: In verse 22, Peter reminds us that we were made Holy through the blood of Christ. The most important way to make sure we live Holy lives is to love each other deeply and sincerely with all your heart – just as Jesus came to show us by living this love and being this love as an example of how we should do it. Are you experiencing this living hope in spite of the challenges you face every day? Are you focusing on your trials or Jesus? How do you love the people that you encounter every day in every sphere of life?