Daily Devotion: Look Forward to your Future

Scripture:
2 Peter 1: 1-11

Main Verses:
2 Peter 1: 9
But whoever does not have them is nearsighted and blind, forgetting that they have been cleansed from their past sins.

Observation:
The apostle Peter gave Christians a reminder to live godly lives. In v. 5, he gave believers a strong command to "make every effort" to live a life worthy of the Lord's cross. He enumerated the qualities that we should possess as Christians: faith, goodness, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness,  mutual affection, and love (vv. 5-7). As believers, we can do all of these because the Lord has given us divine power (v.3). He also warned Christians of being shortsighted. We must always remember that the Lord has sacrificed himself on the cross. We must never forget that if it weren't for the Jesus's sacrifice, we wouldn't be able to enjoy eternal life with the Lord.

Application:
I suffer from nearsightedness, which means that I can clearly see close objects but I cannot see distant objects. I have to wear glasses when I watch a movie, take a bus, or when I need to see a lecture or the Sunday sermon. When you're nearsighted, distant objects are blurry. In our relationship with the Lord, we should never have nearsighted vision. We have to look forward to our future with the Lord. Peter gave eight qualities that we need to possess, and for most of us, there are certain qualities that are harder to practice. It might be hard to practice self-control when people around you make you mad. It might be hard to show goodness to someone who has done you something bad. It might be hard to love an enemy or someone you don't like. But we have been blessed with God's divine power so we can live godly lives. Let us be mindful of our future of eternal life with the Lord, as this will give us the strength to continue with our journey as Christians.

Prayer:
Lord, thank you for giving me the gift of salvation. I pray that the Holy Spirit may continue to give me the strength to live a godly life, a life that is centered on Christlikeness. AMEN.