Handle with Care – 1 Peter 1:10-12

“Concerning this salvation, the prophets who prophesied about the grace that was to be yours searched and inquired carefully, inquiring what person or time the Spirit of Christ in them was indicating when he predicted the sufferings of Christ and the subsequent glories. It was revealed to them that they were serving not themselves but you, in the things that have now been announced to you through those who preached the good news to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven, things into which angels long to look.”

1 Peter: 1:10-12

 It is so easy for me to get caught up in life…. Not the true and fulfilling life that is spent in God’s service and fellowship, but in day to day life….looking only at the duties of today and forgetting to keep eternity as my lens. I hate being inconsistent but I am deeply thankful for God’s patience and long suffering with me. He is teaching me, sometimes painfully, that I must remain in Him.

I don’t mean that I ever turn my back on Him in disbelief or turn back to a lifestyle of sin, but that I wander and lose track of the main thing. I get distracted with schedules, house maintenance, raising children in my own way, and planning vacations and activities for our family, things like that. These things could and should be done for His glory and in an eternal way (except for raising children in my own way, that should definitely be done His way) but when I make these things my own I begin to drift.

When I read the passage from 1 Peter 1:10-12 about the prophets who “searched and inquired carefully” about salvation through a Savior and the gospel message I am humbled and put in my place. Jesus said, “But blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear. For truly, I say to you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.” (Matthew 13:16-17 ESV)

It does make me think though, about the abundance of gospel material that is available and whether or not we are being careless with it.

I went into our local Christian bookstore last week and I picked up a copy of David Platt’s book “Radical”. I haven’t read it yet and I was going to buy it. As I walked to to the till to pay for it I realized that I have started (and not finished, I might add) 5 books in the past year! I really want to read “Radical”, but what am I doing? I admit that the busyness of life with 3 youngsters and other responsibilities have slowed me down with my list of “Books to Read”….but I am convicted by the Old Testament Prophets. The Spirit of Christ, the Holy Spirit, hinted to them about the gospel and they went to work to listen and learn.

These men lived and breathed for the glory of God. Isn’t that our calling too? To do everything for the glory of God (1Corinthians 10:31)? They felt God move in their heart and they made understanding what He had to say to them a priority……and it turned out that it WASN’T EVEN FOR THEM! All the searching and inquiring they did was for our benefit and blessing.

“For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope” Rom. 15:4

My husband and I both have felt the Spirit of Christ reminding us of our desperate need to study His Words written to us with CAREFUL study. We, as Christians, need to set aside social media, TV and movie entertainment, even household duties and exercise for a period of time each day in order to “search and inquire carefully” in God’s Word. This is how our minds are renewed, this is how we will be able to persevere to The End, this is how we will escape temptation and have HOPE…… through the “encouragement of the Scriptures”. His Word renews, refreshes, commands and warns. I am convinced of my need for daily Bible and prayer, and also for putting the careful study of godly men and women to good use by reading the books and listening to the music they’ve created to honor God and to encourage and strengthen His people.

Preparing the Way,

Danae Martin