Bourland Family Blog

“For His divine power has bestowed upon us all things that [are requisite and suited] to life and godliness, through the [full, personal] knowledge of Him Who called us by and to His own glory and excellence (virtue).By means of these He has bestowed on us His precious and exceedingly great promises, so that through them you may escape [by flight] from the moral decay (rottenness and corruption) that is in the world because of covetousness (lust and greed), and become sharers (partakers) of the divine nature.” 2 Peter 1:3-4 ->me: NEW MEMORY VERSES!!  Holy smokes!  Two verses sum all a follower of Christ needs to know.  Our acknowledgement, trust, and belief in Jesus; the one who called us by modeling and providing us (through His word) His own glory and excellence, has led to God the Father, in His almighty power, giving us everything we need to live a life of godliness.  It is by His promises that we will have the hope and joy set before us, and be able to flee the evil desires and garbage of this world -> it is through these promises that we are able to share in the new heart condition that leads us to a life centered on the will and purposes of God.

“Casting the whole of your care [all your anxieties, all your worries, all your concerns, once and for all] on Him, for He cares for you affectionately and cares about you watchfully.” 1 Peter 5:7 ->me: Today I was reading through the rest of 1 Peter 5 and I found myself going back over the text and a small nuance jumped out at me.  In the ESV, verse 7 is a new sentence, but in the Greek this is not so.  The way it reads in the Greek is that the ‘throwing of anxieties on Him’ is how you achieve verse 6 which says ‘Therefore humble yourselves’.  Peter recognizes that a great barrier to putting others first and thinking of them as more important is the legitimate human concern ‘But who then will care for me?’ The answer is that God himself will care for our needs. He is able to do so far better than we are.  This then frees us up to set the needs of others around us.  We become ready to do work for others because we have laid every care of our own upon Jesus.  This tidbit evaded me yesterday and I am so glad that I read back over to catch all the context set in the whole chapter.  The Holy Spirit is so faithful!

“Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you” 1 Peter 5:6 ->me: These last few days have been a wonderful time with family here in Cali on vacation and many side stories going on at the same time -> phone calls regarding Brooklyn, friends going through pregnancy complications, work challenges, and many more.  However, one thing remains constant, regardless of the story happening at the moment – God is greater than all of it, and when I lay the outcomes of each of these stories at the foot of Jesus, I receive a peace and ability to still focus the time on my kids they need.  When I humble myself, I may well lose personal advantage in this life; however, it is always in my best  interest to humble myself before God so that in due time, I might be exalted by Him. When I am proud and self-reliant, I put trust in myself, but when I am humble my faith is in put in God.  Proverbs 3:34 -> God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.

“So I exhort the elders among you, as a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, as well as a partaker in the glory that is going to be revealed:” 1 Peter 5:1-2 ->me:  This is another day where I am not able to get past even just one verse in my quiet time.  Peter is exhorting the elders of the church but what caught my eye is Peter’s phrase “and a witness of the sufferings of Christ”.  Why doesn’t he say “and a witness of the resurrection of Christ” or “and a witness of the transfiguration of Christ”?  I think this is because Peter is recalling for us his own pain and frailty during the Passion of Christ; when Peter failed so miserably by denying his Lord 3 times.  I think he is reminding elders that even he, a denier of Christ can be redeemed and reconciled to God.  Peter is an ‘elder’ who has sinned, repented, been restored, and will share with Christ in glory. He can rightly ‘exhort’ any elder in whose life there is sin, likewise to repent and be restored before God’s disciplinary refining fire reaches him.  Peter may be borrowing from Ezekiel 9:6 where judgement begins with the house of God – “So they began with the elders who were before the house.”  On another level, the reference to Christ’s sufferings may also serve as a reminder to the elders that just as Christ was willing to suffer for them, so they should be willing to endure hardship and suffering for the sake of those in their churches.

“Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice insofar as you share Christ’s sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed. But let none of you suffer as a murderer or a thief or an evildoer or as a meddler. Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in that name.” 1 Peter 4:12-13 & 15-16  ->me:  This is a very heavy passage.  When I am following Jesus (in fellowship with Him) and I come under a trial, I should 1) not be surprised that it is happening 2) understand that it is a test for me 3) see that this is not strange but normal 4) rejoice in that fact that I am sharing in Christ’s sufferings (He endured all trials I could ever encounter, during His ministry) 5) have a mindset of ‘the joy set before me’ [Heb. 12:2] in seeing my Savior return to take me home to heaven to spend an eternity with Him.  The consequences of my sin are not trials that fall within what is talked about here.  If I am working mischief or performing works of evil, this is not a time to rejoice, but a time to repent.  So, when I suffer or experience trials as a Christian who is constantly seeking to follow Christ and a sanctified life, then I should not be ashamed, but glorify God in my suffering.  This is a condition of my heart, not a behavior or mask to proudly wear; I must know in my heart that the trial I am enduring and suffering through is ultimately an avenue by which I can glorify God.

“Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins.  Show hospitality to one another without grumbling. As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace: whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies—in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ.” 1 Peter 4:8-11 ->me:  This is the second time that Peter has instructed us to ‘love one another’…an earnestly.  Where there is an abundance of love in a fellowship of Christians, many small offences are readily overlooked and forgotten. But where love is lacking, every word is viewed with suspicion, every action leads to misunderstanding, and there are many conflicts…this is what satan wants…a lack of love.  Gifts and talents are given by God alone; part of His common and varied grace.  I need to take what the Lord has bestowed on me in abilities and work to find every way I can use them to lift up those around me.  We I am following Jesus, in fellowship with Him, I can not go wrong in taking every opportunity to serve with the mindset that it is through God that I have the ability to love on others through His strength…and when I do these things, give every glory, praise and blessing to Him alone.

“In your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect, having a good conscience, so that, when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame. For it is better to suffer for doing good, if that should be God’s will, than for doing evil.” 1 Peter 3:15-17 ->me: Oh man this is so good!  I love this ‘always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you’.  This is so encouraging because I have been given this opportunity so many times in the last several months; with everything that has happened with my work, with Brooklyn, and other hard circumstances.  God has continued to be so faithful in the grace and mercy of His peace and comfort -> for this, I have HOPE!  I have been able to share this with so many people who have actually asked exactly what Peter says here “Ben, how are you even here at work?  How are you able to stay so positive and at peace?”  Every time I get the chance to share how good God is and it is because of His provision that I have hope, not only in my eternity, but hope in that He is working all of this out for good.

“Servants, be subject to your masters with all respect, not only to the good and gentle but also to the unjust. For this is a gracious thing, when, mindful of God, one endures sorrows while suffering unjustly.” 1 Peter 2:18 ->me: This is only the second write up I have had in 5 days.  Not a great record for this week; however, God has been doing a great work in me through my situations and activities.  My prayer life has been better than it has been in months and my connection with the Lord and His movements has been wonderful…but what I realize I miss (even if it is for one day) is the rock solid instruction, blessing, correction, and encouragement I get from God’s Word.  Today is a great example – a lot of my troubles as work over the last year have had a ton to do with leaders in my chain of work meeting the ‘unjust’ definition here in verse 18.  Metaphorically the Greek word for unjust used here means ‘dishonest or morally evil’.   The most important part here for me is that Peter doesn’t that God is pleased with enduring sorrow and grief while suffering unjustly, no; he says that when we are ‘mindful of God’ in that circumstance, is He pleased.  This is not a stoic self-motivated tenacity which holds out against all opposition but rather the opposite -> the trusting awareness of God’s presence and never-failing care, which is the key to righteous suffering. It is the confidence that God will ultimately right all wrongs which enables me to submit to an unjust master without resentment, rebelliousness, self-pity, or despair.

“Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the emperor.” 1 Peter 2:17 ->me: This is quite the creed!  There is no exception here -> EVERYONE.  Love my co-inheritors in Christ.  Fear disappointing God.  Respect the authority of police, government, firemen, or any other persons in place of authority.  Proverbs 24:21-22 has a warning along these lines – “My son, fear the Lord and the king (notice the little ‘k’), and do not join with those who do otherwise, for disaster will arise suddenly from them, and who knows the ruin that will come from them both?”  I honestly don’t have much more to write here, the verse from 1 Peter above is so clear.  This is one of those verses to memorize and hold in my heart a compass for behavior.