July 23, 2009 Called To Suffer
Today’s Bible Reading: 2 Kings 20; Isaiah 38, 39; Psalm 75; 1 Peter 2
Scripture Focus:
1 Peter 2:20–23 …But when you do good and suffer, if you take it patiently, this is commendable before God. For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps:
“ Who committed no sin,
Nor was deceit found in His mouth”;
who, when He was reviled, did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously;
Observation:
This goes against every grain in our body—first of all to suffer, and secondly to suffer in silence, but Jesus is our example, and we are called to be like him—to take it when someone reviles us and not revile in return, but instead to commit ourselves to God and let him be the judge. Wow.
Application:
To do this takes humility. I keep coming back to this concept in my Bible reading, and every time I do, I realize that I have a long way to go to achieve the status of “humble.” However, if I’m going to be like Jesus I must be willing to suffer and to do so humbly, trusting in God to be the judge.
Prayer:
Father God, help me to be willing to be like Jesus.
