I sit here in my kitchen-cozy spot. I can look out onto my little, bubbling pond. I peek at the roses, now nearly done for the season. I love my kitchen: the hutch in the corner, bought so long ago from a dear friend, filled with Village Pfaltzgraph pieces; the little coffee nook; the pumpkin flower arrangement sitting atop the fall tablecloth; the beautiful handmade cutting board with its etched reminder, “Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?” (Genesis 18:25); the little shelf which holds a daily-change calendar (pictured in this post)—special because I bought it for Mom so many years ago and she kept it!
As I read First Peter 1:5, “who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation,” my mind wanders across the ocean to those believers in Israel weeping over their lost loved ones, sitting in their displaced places, snatching a moment to read the word and draw strength from Peter’s words, “who are kept by the power of God.”
And then I wander back in time, to the widow wondering where her next meal will come. She doesn’t know it, but she’s living through the Great Depression She sits in her tiny shack, looking across the kitchen, pausing to drink in the comfort of those words, “kept by the power of God.”
Back, back even further, and I see the medieval duchess, dressed in splendor, sitting in her ornate parlor, lifting the treasured Book and reading, “kept by the power of God through faith for salvation.” For the first time, she sees and understands that it is not the church or the church leaders that hold the key to salvation but Jesus Christ, and it brings peace and hope and strength for her to face her accusers.
One more image comes to mind. It is of that first-century believer. He heard Peter speak such words of wonder, hardly able to comprehend what they meant but trusting the message and the Messiah for salvation. Now, he too faces uncertainty. Death looms at the door, but for now, he sits quietly in his cell, praying for strength to remain faithful no matter the cost. And the words flash through his mind which Peter had spoken, “kept by the power of God, through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.” He looks at the barred window with a peace that “surpasses all understanding” (Philippines 4:7), because of the promises of his God.
Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares [us], and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, Hebrews 12:1
David Guzik says this, “That cloud probably includes great men and women of God who have come since those Hebrews 11 saints, known and unknown to history. We are also under angelic observation (Ephesians 3:10-11) and the world watches our faith and conduct. We are surrounded by them, as spectators in a stadium surround and observe the players.”
The eternal Word of God—how precious is it to you? This world constantly pulls us away from time with God in His Word. It fills our every waking moment with tasks that shout to be dealt with. Children cry, sickness comes, bills need to be paid, life rushes on and we forget that we are “kept by the power of God.”
Take a moment or two or twenty and spend time in God’s Word. Its refreshing flow will never leave the seeking vessel empty and dry. And remember all those who walked the path of faith before you, and take courage to walk your path this day no matter what it brings.
Beyond Common Sense 