SEPTEMBER 7, 2015
Ripples of Hope
Read:
1
Peter 1:3-9
In
his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the
resurrection of Jesus Christ.— 1 Peter 1:3
In 1966, U.S. Senator
Robert Kennedy made an influential visit to South Africa. There he offered
words of hope to opponents of apartheid in his famous “Ripple of Hope” speech
at the University of Cape Town. In his speech, he declared, “Each time a man
stands up for an ideal, or acts to improve the lot of others, or strikes out
against injustice, he sends forth a tiny ripple of hope, and crossing each
other from a million different centers of energy and daring, those ripples
build a current which can sweep down the mightiest walls of oppression and
resistance.”
Through the certainty
of Christ’s resurrection, the child of God has a hope that is more than a
ripple. It is an overwhelming current of confidence in the faithfulness of the
One who conquered death for us. Jesus, in His victory over death—our greatest
enemy—can infuse hope into the most hopeless of situations.
My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus’ blood and
righteousness; I dare not trust the sweetest frame, but wholly lean on Jesus’
name. Edward Mote
In Christ the hopeless find hope.
INSIGHT:
Peter wrote this letter to encourage
believers in Asia Minor (modern-day Turkey) who were suffering because of
persecution. He tells them that their sufferings serve a divine purpose by
proving the genuineness and quality of their faith (1:7). These believers can
“greatly rejoice” (v. 6) because they have “a living hope” that is eternal,
guaranteed by the risen Christ, and divinely reserved by God (vv. 3-4).
Suffering believers have the privilege of following Jesus’ example (2:21),
participating not only in His sufferings, but also in His glory (1:7; 4:13).
They have the opportunity and responsibility to tell others about their living
hope (3:15). Sim Kay Tee
Source: Our Daily Bread 2015
