Saturday Night Devotions

Peter 3:10-11

     For he who would love life and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips from speaking deceit.  Let him turn away from evil and do good; let him seek peace and pursue it.

     Peter begins the verse with an attention grabber.  Do you want to love your life?  Everyone wants to love their life – to feel enthused about their day, to feel fulfilled by their efforts and relationships, to find meaning and purpose and appreciation… and on and on.  Interestingly, different people enjoy some matters more than others.  Some enjoy work, some enjoy sports, some enjoy lounging alone or with friends.  It is fascinating, then, to see that this recommendation is made to everyone, regardless of their career, gender, or personality.  Peter says that no matter who you are or what you enjoy, if you want to have a great life, if you want to love your life, this is what you do:  First of all, you guard your tongue.  Perhaps this is not the suggestion we suspected.  But Peter joins James in teaching us that if want to enjoy life – not just help others enjoy their lives – but if we want to enjoy our life, we must control our tongue.  Don’t say mean things, don’t say rude things, don’t say vulgar things, and don’t say false things.  Peter boldly claims that if we will control our tongue, we will love life.  Secondly, Peter says that if we “would love life and see good days,” we should “turn away from evil and do good.”  Do no wrong – and not just that, but do good things for people.  If we will turn from sin and do good for others Peter claims that we will love life.  Perhaps not the formula others have proposed, but Peter is certain of his claim.  Thirdly, Peter says that if we want to love life we should “seek peace.”  In fact, we should “pursue” peace -- track it down, hunt it down, never lose the scent until we are at peace with those around us.  If we will intently pursue peaceful relations with others Peter claims that we will love life.  There it is, Peter’s secret for “good days” and loving life: control your tongue, turn from sin, do good things for people, and maintain peace in our relationships.  Perhaps just as fascinating as Peter’s claim that doing these things will result in a wonderful life is the fact that the idea is not original with him!  He is quoting from Psalm 34:12-14 in making this tremendous claim.  So we see that God’s plan for providing man with a wonderful life has not changed over time.  The key to loving life was the same in the Old Testament as it is in the New Testament, and logic dictates that this same key will open this great door in our day. 

Saturday Night Devotions

 

 

I Peter 3:9

     Not returning evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary blessing, knowing that you were called to this, that you may inherit a blessing.

     We are plainly called to be a blessing to others – and not only those who bless us, but bless even those who cause us pain.  Luke 6:28 says, “Bless those who curse you, and pray for those who spitefully use you.”  We are first called to bless those who curse us because that is the example Jesus gave us.  This same line “not returning reviling for reviling” was used to describe Jesus in I Peter 2:23.  As if that were not enough (and certainly it should be), the verse adds further impetus to blessing those around us by stating that we should bless others “that you may inherit a blessing.”  Let us first of all be diligent in being a blessing to those in our church.  Then let us seek to bless those who intentionally bring us distress, as in this verse, because doing so allows us to “inherit a blessing.”  If we did not realize it before now, let us take note that God blesses those who bless others.  Sometimes that blessing comes in heaven, sometimes His blessing comes to us right away.  “Whoever brings blessing will be enriched, and one who waters will himself be watered (Proverbs 11:25, ESV).”