1 00:00:02,730 --> 00:00:06,730 Speaker 1: Life Audio. For more resources to help you in your 2 00:00:06,790 --> 00:00:13,490 Speaker 1: walk with Christ, please visit us at BibleStudyHeadquarters.com. You're listening 3 00:00:13,550 --> 00:00:18,250 Speaker 1: to Daily Devotions with Pastor John. I'm John Stonge, and 4 00:00:18,270 --> 00:00:22,900 Speaker 1: today's devotion is inspired by 1 Peter 3, verse 9, 5 00:00:22,900 --> 00:00:28,060 Speaker 1: which says, Do not repay evil for evil or reviling 6 00:00:28,160 --> 00:00:32,420 Speaker 1: for reviling, but on the contrary, bless and For to 7 00:00:32,479 --> 00:00:36,400 Speaker 1: this you were called, that you may obtain a blessing. 8 00:00:39,000 --> 00:00:42,020 Speaker 1: Consider for just a moment how Jesus has chosen to 9 00:00:42,060 --> 00:00:45,930 Speaker 1: bless us. Scripture tells us that we were not looking 10 00:00:45,990 --> 00:00:49,269 Speaker 1: for him, so he came looking for us. We were 11 00:00:49,310 --> 00:00:52,190 Speaker 1: content to go our own way and wallow in our sin, 12 00:00:52,810 --> 00:00:56,300 Speaker 1: but he showed us a new way. We lived in 13 00:00:56,380 --> 00:01:01,740 Speaker 1: opposition toward him, yet he showed us kindness. We deserved judgment. 14 00:01:02,090 --> 00:01:05,069 Speaker 1: because of our sin, yet he who had no sin 15 00:01:05,370 --> 00:01:10,090 Speaker 1: took our condemnation upon himself at the cross. Now he's 16 00:01:10,150 --> 00:01:14,419 Speaker 1: present with us and within us. Now he's strengthening us 17 00:01:14,520 --> 00:01:18,520 Speaker 1: and leading us. Now he's preparing future blessings for us, 18 00:01:19,140 --> 00:01:23,160 Speaker 1: and we don't deserve any of it. People have offended 19 00:01:23,340 --> 00:01:26,470 Speaker 1: and do offend us, yet if we set our hearts 20 00:01:26,510 --> 00:01:29,819 Speaker 1: toward getting back at them, all we're really doing is 21 00:01:29,920 --> 00:01:33,619 Speaker 1: forgetting the ways in which Jesus has chosen to bless us. 22 00:01:34,660 --> 00:01:38,350 Speaker 1: It isn't our job to retaliate against those who intentionally 23 00:01:38,410 --> 00:01:42,869 Speaker 1: hurt us. Rather, it's our privilege to bless others just 24 00:01:42,990 --> 00:01:48,190 Speaker 1: as we have been blessed. Interestingly, this scripture tells us 25 00:01:48,270 --> 00:01:51,360 Speaker 1: that when we bless others, even after they've hurt us, 26 00:01:51,920 --> 00:01:55,660 Speaker 1: we are fulfilling Christ's calling on our lives— and we 27 00:01:55,670 --> 00:02:00,680 Speaker 1: will experience a God-ordained blessing. In other words, He will 28 00:02:00,800 --> 00:02:04,400 Speaker 1: intentionally bless us as we model the truth of His 29 00:02:04,460 --> 00:02:08,720 Speaker 1: gospel by blessing others. Maybe part of that blessing will 30 00:02:08,760 --> 00:02:11,530 Speaker 1: include giving us a sense of peace in knowing that 31 00:02:11,570 --> 00:02:15,850 Speaker 1: we've done what was right. Our consciences won't disturb us. 32 00:02:16,450 --> 00:02:20,230 Speaker 1: Our hearts won't be consumed with rage. When we choose 33 00:02:20,270 --> 00:02:23,800 Speaker 1: not to repay evil for evil, we're giving this world 34 00:02:24,230 --> 00:02:28,610 Speaker 1: a powerful glimpse of the very thing Jesus chose to 35 00:02:28,690 --> 00:02:35,769 Speaker 1: do for us. Let's pray. Lord, we thank you for 36 00:02:35,810 --> 00:02:38,149 Speaker 1: your word. And we thank you for the privilege that 37 00:02:38,190 --> 00:02:39,730 Speaker 1: it is to be able to read this portion of 38 00:02:39,810 --> 00:02:44,000 Speaker 1: Scripture together today from the book of 1 Peter. And Lord, 39 00:02:44,020 --> 00:02:46,480 Speaker 1: we know that throughout the course of our lives, we 40 00:02:46,600 --> 00:02:49,980 Speaker 1: face all sorts of challenges. And some of the biggest 41 00:02:50,060 --> 00:02:53,810 Speaker 1: challenges that we deal with come from other people. People 42 00:02:54,070 --> 00:02:56,980 Speaker 1: at times can be such a wonderful blessing, but they 43 00:02:57,000 --> 00:03:00,600 Speaker 1: can also be rather difficult at times to interact with, 44 00:03:00,940 --> 00:03:05,780 Speaker 1: or to put up with, or to forgive. And at times, 45 00:03:06,020 --> 00:03:08,540 Speaker 1: some people act toward us in such a wicked way 46 00:03:08,919 --> 00:03:11,760 Speaker 1: that we want to retaliate against them. But then we 47 00:03:11,800 --> 00:03:14,179 Speaker 1: come across a portion of Scripture like this that tells 48 00:03:14,260 --> 00:03:18,790 Speaker 1: us not to repay evil for evil. In fact, you 49 00:03:18,830 --> 00:03:21,790 Speaker 1: tell us that on the contrary, we should bless others. 50 00:03:22,450 --> 00:03:25,750 Speaker 1: and that this is your calling on our lives. And 51 00:03:25,770 --> 00:03:28,669 Speaker 1: that as we bless others for your glory, that you 52 00:03:28,750 --> 00:03:32,400 Speaker 1: will bless us. And Lord, it's interesting as we look 53 00:03:32,410 --> 00:03:35,380 Speaker 1: at this portion of Scripture, we're reminded of the fact 54 00:03:35,560 --> 00:03:39,520 Speaker 1: that we reviled against you, and we did evil against 55 00:03:39,580 --> 00:03:42,940 Speaker 1: you and against other people, and yet your Son, Jesus Christ, 56 00:03:43,380 --> 00:03:46,640 Speaker 1: took the penalty for our sin upon himself so that 57 00:03:46,700 --> 00:03:51,530 Speaker 1: we could become objects of your mercy. So, Lord, since 58 00:03:51,570 --> 00:03:55,010 Speaker 1: you've blessed us, even though we didn't deserve it, we 59 00:03:55,070 --> 00:03:57,930 Speaker 1: pray that we would take that same approach as we 60 00:03:58,030 --> 00:04:00,950 Speaker 1: interact with other people. We pray that we would bless 61 00:04:01,130 --> 00:04:03,680 Speaker 1: others and that we would glorify your name in the 62 00:04:03,740 --> 00:04:07,800 Speaker 1: process and that we wouldn't look to retaliate, even if 63 00:04:07,860 --> 00:04:11,880 Speaker 1: people have offended us deeply. Again, Lord, we thank you 64 00:04:11,920 --> 00:04:14,480 Speaker 1: for this teaching from your word, and we commit this 65 00:04:14,520 --> 00:04:19,669 Speaker 1: day to your care and pray this all in Jesus' name. Amen.