20 Feb March 19th Daily Devotion

 A SERIES OF DEVOTIONS BASED ON PETER’S SECOND LETTER   

 GOD GIVES YOU EVERYTHING YOU NEED FOR A GODLY LIFE

2 Peter 1:3 “His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and goodness.”

A rich man asked Jesus, “What must I do to inherit eternal life?”  The man went on to tell Jesus how from his youth to the present he had kept God’s commandments.  He was a faithful practicing Jew doing everything he thought he needed to do to earn God’s favor.

Even though that man lived two thousand years ago, today there are many just like him.  Unfortunately, as St. Paul, a man educated and learned in all of the requirements of God’s Law, said of himself, “The good that I would do, I do not and that which I do not want to do, I do.  O wretched man that I am.” (Romans 10:19)  Both the Old and New Testaments of the Bible clearly state that there are no men or women who have kept God’s law perfectly.

Thankfully, the Gospel has the answer to St. Paul’s and your dilemma, “His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and goodness.” (see also 2 Peter 1:3-4)  It is not what you do but what God does for you that makes you a godly person.

The Holy Spirit has called you by the Gospel, enlightens you with His gifts, makes and keeps you holy in the true faith to life everlasting.  (Martin Luther’s explanation to the Third Article of the Apostle’s creed) It is to this fact that Peter wrote the words of today’s devotional verse, ““His divine power has given (you) everything (you) need for a godly life through (your) knowledge of Him who called (you) by His own glory and goodness.” (2 Peter 1:3)

Prayer:  Thanks and praise to You, O Lord, for giving me all I need to live a godly life.  Amen.

Renew me, O eternal Light, And let my heart and soul be bright, Illumined with the light of grace That issues from Your holy face.

Remove the pow’r of sin from me  And cleanse all my impurity

That I may have the strength and will

Temptations of the flesh to still.

Create in me a new heart, Lord, That gladly I obey Your Word.

Let what You will be my desire, And with new life my soul inspire.

Grant that I only You may love

And seek those things which are above  Till I behold You face to face, O Light eternal, through Your grace.

(LSB 704)