Devo Time: 2 Peter 3:10-13
10 But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything done in it will be laid bare.
11 Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives 12 as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming. That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat. 13 But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, where righteousness dwells.
(2 Peter 3:10-13)
Remember on Sunday when Pastor Darren taught us the different ways to meditate on a Bible passage? Well, after trying out a few of those methods on 2 Peter 3:10-13, here are a few things that really sank into my heart.
- Jesus will return all of a sudden, so I better be well prepared. But how?
- Everything on earth, which includes everything around me at this moment, will be destroyed, and I cannot keep any of it.
- There is SO MUCH to look forward to, and it’s incomparable to the things I love in this world now.
Meditating especially on verse 11, where Peter asks rhetorically, “what kind of people ought you to be?” A few things occurred to me.
WHAT kind of people ought you to be?
Well it clearly says “holy and godly” in the sentence after, but what does that mean for me tomorrow when I go to work? In what way will I exemplify God’s holiness around my co-workers? What about when I’m taking public transit, do I appreciate the bus driver getting me to places by simply saying “thank you” when I get off? How about when I arrive home after a long day? Will I live a holy life and continue to be conscious about honouring and loving my family? What else can I do? Am I approaching God in prayer with confidence that he has forgiven all my sins? Do I even want to confess my sins in the first place?
What kind of PEOPLE ought you to be?
I love that it uses the word people. In this world we love to categorize ourselves. Are you the popular kid in school that has the coolest group of friends? Are you the bookworm who hangs out at the library or Chapters a lot? Are you a baller #ballislife? Or the quiet kid who loves to listen to music with headphones always on ? What kind of people are you? Or the better question here might be, what kind of people do others see you as?
Are you part of God’s people?
What kind of people ought you to BE?
It says “BE”, not “become,” nor “will be.” To me, this means right now, at this moment, immediately. I’m not waiting until my busy week is over to finally work on my relationship with Christ. I’m not waiting until I understand the Bible more so that I can start practising how to be more holy. It starts NOW.
Now scroll back to the top and read the verse again, meditate on it, pray, and ask God to reveal his truth to you so that you may be transformed. Better yet, pray like this:
Lord, your word is perfect, sure, right, pure, clean, and true. By it, you revive souls, make the simple wise, rejoice hearts, enlighten eyes, and mold us into righteousness. Transform the words in front of me into virtue and grace within me, conforming me to the image of your Son. Let your word fall on my heart like a hammer, breaking away what is sinful and refining what is righteous. Shape not only my mind, but all of me, to love what Christ loves and to hate what he hates. Amen. (From: Desiring God: Why Do We Give Up on Bible Reading?)
Jackie