20 Feb March 26th Daily Devotion

 A SERIES OF DEVOTIONS BASED ON PETER’S SECOND LETTER  

THE PROPHETIC MESSAGE IS COMPLETELY RELIABLE

2 Peter 1:19 “We also have the prophetic message as something completely reliable, and you will do well to pay attention to it, as to a light shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts.”

Sometimes there are verses in the Bible that can easily be overlooked.  Today’s devotional verse is one of those.  In the previous verses and the last two devotions based upon them, great emphasis was placed upon what the eyes of Peter, James, and John beheld and their ears heard.  Their visual and auditory senses took in the full impact of what was happening, namely, that God was revealing Jesus as His one and only Son, and true God.

In today’s verse St. Peter relies upon one more “completely reliable” source of evidence regarding who Jesus was.  “We also have the prophetic message as something completely reliable . . .”  Peter considered the words of the Old Testament Prophets of equal importance in God’s revelation of His Son’s Divine nature.  He says the Prophets message was “completely reliable.”

And, Peter writes, “you will do well to pay attention to it. . .”  “It” here refers to the Prophetic message.  You also have been given by God all the information you need that confirms for you that Jesus is “His Son” and you should “listen to Him.”  God says to pay attention to through the writings of the Old Testament.  God says to also pay attention to the writings of the New Testament, such as the words of St. Peter you have been reading over these past three days.  “We,” Peter said, “have beheld His glory . . .”

Through the eyes, and ears of Peter and the inspired and revealed message given to the Holy Writers of the Old and New Testaments, God’s message to you is completely reliable.  What John wrote in John 20:31 is true:  “. . . these are written that you may believe ^x that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.”

Prayer:  Holy Spirit, grant me faith to believe and trust the completely reliable words of the Old and New Testaments.  In Jesus’ name.  Amen.

“Tis good, Lord, to be here! Thy glory fills the night;

Thy face and garments, like the sun, Shine with unborrowed light.

“Tis good, Lord, to be here, Thy beauty to behold

Where Moses and Elijah stand, Thy messengers of old.

Fulfiller of the past And hope of things to be,

We hail Thy body glorified And our redemption see.

Before we taste of death, We see Thy kingdom come;

We long to hold the vision bright And make this hill our home.

“Tis good, Lord, to be here! Yet we may not remain;

But since Thou bidst us leave the mount, Come with us to the plain.

(LSB 414)