Above all,
you must realize that no prophecy in Scripture
ever came from the prophet’s own understanding,
or from human initiative.
No,
those prophets were moved by the Holy Spirit,
and they spoke from God.
…the message proclaimed by the prophets.
You must pay close attention to what they wrote,
for their words are like a lamp shining in a dark place—
until the Day dawns,
and Christ the Morning Star shines in your hearts.
By his divine power,
God has given us everything we need for living a godly life.
We have received all of this by coming to know him,
the one who called us to himself
by means of his marvelous glory and excellence.
And because of his glory and excellence,
he has given us great and precious promises…
In view of all this,
make every effort to respond to God’s promises…
Watch out for your great enemy,
the devil.
He prowls around like a roaring lion,
looking for someone to devour.
Stand firm against him,
and be strong in your faith…
(Antelope Canyon, AZ)
So if you are suffering in a manner that pleases God,
keep on doing what is right
and trust your lives to the God who created you,
for he will never fail you.
He never sinned,
nor ever deceived anyone.
He did not retaliate when he was insulted,
nor threaten revenge when he suffered.
He left his case in the hands of God,
who always judges fairly.
He personally carried our sins
in his body on the cross
so that we can be dead to sin
and live for what is right.
By his wounds you are healed.
Once you were like sheep
who wandered away.
But now you have turned to your Shepherd,
the Guardian of your souls.
The end of the world is coming soon.
Therefore,
be earnest and disciplined in your prayers.
…worship Christ as Lord of your life.
and if someone asks about your hope as a believer,
always be ready to explain it.
But do this in a gentle and respectful way…
(Photo credit: Richard Brice)
So be truly glad.
There is wonderful joy ahead,
even though you must endure many trials
for a little while.
These trials will show that your faith is genuine.
It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold—
though your faith is far more precious than gold.
So when your faith remains strong
through many trials,
it will bring you much praise and glory and honor
on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed
to the whole world.
