October 30, 2022 ~ Devotions: "Harvest"

    And So I Continue . . . . . .  

That I may publish with the voice of thanksgiving, and 

tell of all thy wondrous works.   Psalms 26:7 KJV  

1 Peter 1:3-5 ~  3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4  To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, 5  Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

I wondered initially, what these verses have to do with "Harvest"? Who is Peter writing to? What is his purpose? How can I use these verses in my life? 1 Peter is all about suffering and glory - written to Christians, as mentioned in verse one of this chapter  ". . .to the strangers scattered throughout . . ." It was written for me and you. Peter is giving all honor and glory to ". . .God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, . . ." for the blessed Son's death and resurrection for all. We have that ". . .lively hope. . ."  

So, Peter is writing to all Christians, no matter the nationality, color, condition. Why? Because persecutions come and will come to all who love the Lord and have taken Him as their Saviour! Sufferings, losses, agony, pain, illness, death, divorce. . . I could go on and on. You pick your own suffering; God has an answer. Christians are suffering all over the world (1 Peter 5:1 The elders which are among you I exhort, who am also an elder, and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed:), as Christians today, if we know the why, we will know how to deal with it. We need to know how to live if this suffering be ours until the Lord calls us home; either to the grave or the rapture. We are creatures of, "I just want to know!" 

The one thing I do know as a child of God is that my faith in God and His Son will see me through, as it always has. When we are in the middle of our crisis, that thought is sometimes hard to remember. The "good" of our sufferings is that we know the end will come. God didn't bring us to a hard place and leave us, He is with us. This knowledge, that in His great wisdom He put us in a place of sufferings not to harm us but to better us, teach us and ultimately to see His wisdom and give us the ability to thank and praise Him for His touch on our lives. Good or bad, the Christian has great reason to praise the Lord in the hard time.

But the lost/sinner, can only mourn in their hard times. They see persecution as their "lot in life" so to speak, not liking it and many times never able to overcome it. Only faith and trust in Jesus Christ as their Saviour will they see relief. O the trial may still be there, but now they have reason to praise the Lord in the hard timeS and know one day they will be delivered from it.

God's mercy and grace is available to all. Peter wrote to "strangers", and I am one of them, thousands of years later. Isn't it wonderful how God had these men of God write these letters that can still be applied to our lives today? To Peter, suffering is something the Christian should always see coming. We’re foreigners/strangers here. This is not our home and we shouldn’t expect to be treated differently until our King returns and we live with Him forever and ever - 1 Peter 5:10-11    10 But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you. 11 To him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.

What is your suffering? If you are not saved, it may continue forever. If you are saved, it may continue forever. The difference is WHO is with us during that suffering. May the Lord reveal His power and glory to the lost.  May He lift up the child of God and carry them through their suffering. 

By the way, WE ARE THE HARVEST!

Lord, help us to be wise, studied up, aware, and faithful to You. Amen.

With love and prayers,

LKMilam

May we be faithful to be your Philippians 2:16 Missionaries. 

Philippians 2:16 Holding forth the word of life; that I may rejoice in the day of Christ, that I have not run in vain, neither laboured in vain.

Tom and Linda Milam