God's Power of a Living Hope

In this passage, I hear several parts of God's power to work in our lives... power for hope, power for change, and power for joy.

3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, ⁴ and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you, ⁵ who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. ⁶ In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. ⁷ These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. ⁸ Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, ⁹ for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls. ~1 Peter 1:3-9

Power of Hope

³ Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, ⁴ and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade ~ 1 Peter 1:3-4

Just this morning I was listening to the radio and heard the imminently fun Audio Adrenaline song "In My Father's House". God has the power to comfort all of us in knowing that His house with many rooms waits for us. Though we don't know if there will be a "great big yard where we can play football" as the song goes, we do know that it is there for us... and there is room for us.

Power for Change

⁷ These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. ~1 Peter 1:7

Unlike the gold which perishes when refined, we are refined by God. The Holy Spirit works within us and changes us... allowing us to be made new creations in the Lord. Such beautiful work can only happen with His wonderful power.

Power of Joy

⁸ Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, ⁹ for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls. ~1 Peter 1:8-9

When His work in us is complete and we are a new creation, we are filled with "inexpressible and glorious joy"... the strength that He gives us. Praise the Lord for the joy He has placed in my heart!