Nougat 1

At the prime spiritual age of yours, and based on your personal experience, what advice would you share with those who are new to the faith? And what of those facing crisis of faith? Consider today’s Holy Nougat

“In his kindness God called you to share in his eternal glory by means of Christ Jesus. So after you have suffered a little while, he will restore, support, and strengthen you, and he will place you on a firm foundation.” ‭‭1 Peter‬ ‭5:10‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Written by renowned apostle Simon the fisherman, more popularly known as Peter; this epistle’s audience was scattered throughout Asia Minor. One could say they were refugees or a migrant community. Thus they were not only learning about their faith; but were also attempting to discern the nuances of their home. As one who’s encountered the ups and downs of such an experience; it can be a balancing act.

And, should we assume that their relocation was due to persecution; it could be that this young church was having a major crisis of Faith. In chapter 1, Peter’s introductory words does suggest that. He says; “God the Father knew you and chose you long ago, and his Spirit has made you holy…” These words were obviously intended to assure the believers that they were still under God’s jurisdiction and to remind them that they were God’s elect.

We note that as the letter develops; Peter does not sugarcoat the believing community’s reality. Rather he superimposed the gracious love of God as the Hope to which they would anchor their faith. Additionally Peter’s words of encouragement are anchored in Scripture. He contextualized the Scriptures to offer secrets for Holy life in the face of persecution and opposition. He speaks to the centrality of God’s Word, the grace of Jesus’ death and resurrection which restores us into God’s presence and the endearing and essential work of God’s Spirit in guiding us through our journey.

Peter speaks from the perspective of his own personal experience and conviction. As Jesus’ disciple, Peter had the honor of being one of His inner circle. And they had been through many an exciting, spiritually profound moment. Remember, Peter had a personal testimony of Jesus as Healer; Jesus healed his mother in law. By God’s revelation, Peter saw Jesus as the Son of God while the other disciples sought the right words to describe Jesus. He was not only tempted; Peter fell deep and hard when he denied having knowledge of Jesus. He truly knew what the resurrection power entails.

Whether we encourage someone else or we seek to strengthen our own faith; we may choose to learn from Peter’s example:

Reflect on our personal experience with Jesus

Prayerfully discern what is required

Speak to God’s love, God’s grace, Christ’s merry and the Spirit’s guidance; AND

Speak honestly but with the assurance of God’s grace

May God’s Spirit encourage us as we prepare to dig deeper in the Word and apply it to our lives.

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May all we seek be found in Christ