Daily Devotional 6/12/26

1 Peter 3:13 (NKJV): And who is he who will harm you if you become followers of what is good?

I think that we sometimes misread verses like today’s verse to mean that we will never have trouble as long as we have faith in Christ Jesus. I do not believe that is what Peter is implying here. Peter knew how hard life can be. Peter knew how faith in Christ Jesus could bring persecution for some believers. Peter is not telling us a life of faith is going to be easy peasy. In the next verse, Peter recognizes that some are going to suffer. Suffering and pain do not cease to exist in this world. But, ultimately, in the end, the pain and suffering do not win, God wins. Eternal life in Christ Jesus wins. The movement of the Holy Spirit in our lives wins. Yes, we may suffer at times in our lives, but our hope is in the eternal love and life of Jesus. We are going to have to go through something before we get Home. We are going to have to deal with stuff that we would rather not have to deal with. At the end though, there is life eternal with God. Thinking that earthly concerns are going to become simple for us because of faith can lead to the destruction of that faith. We put our hope in Christ Jesus because of the agape love we are given. Today, may we live out of that agape love even when trials are upon us.