My Devotion

I've been reading and rereading I Peter for about a month now. Just a few verses at a time, but really weighing each word. And these scriptures are becoming so dear to me. i think the Holy Spirit's got it in for me.

I've never really written about Scripture passages. i do like to write stream-of-consciousness prayers. Anyhow, not sure how to structure this, so I'm going to start with my favorite.

I Peter 1:3: "Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead..."

I love the coupling of these words "living hope." Just the idea that we always have hope alive within us, and that hope is dependent on Christ, a man who was resurrected from the dead. End result: unconquerable, indestructable hope. What does that mean for us? Sometimes when I think about this concept in hard moments, even though I don't "feel" the joy, I feel myself being pulled back to center - the center being the deep truth that God's will is always happening. When I think about these words with I am calm and focused, like during a morning walk or in yoga class, I feel light radiate from my chest, and my eyes close with the fullness of it. What a great God.

I think that this "living hope" concept is so different than any other type of hope. Living hope is hope grounded in certainty, not just a strong yearning for something to actualize. This hope has been alive throughout the ages.