Living Hope
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. (1 Peter 1:3)
When we feel burdened by our sin, when we are overwhelmed with guilt and shame from our mistakes, it can be so easy to fall into feeling hopeless. We lose sight of what good could come from our terrible circumstances, and we forget that the God we serve is so much bigger than all of our mistakes and shortcomings.
Take Peter for example. He was one of Jesus closest friends and companions, and on the worst day of Jesus’ life, Peter acted like he didn’t even know Jesus. After he had denied Jesus not just once, but three times, Peter was overcome with sorrow and guilt for his actions. If I had to guess, I bet Peter was thinking his time as a disciple of Jesus Christ was over. There’s no way he had any hope to get past that.
But thankfully, not only did Jesus forgive Peter, but He reinstated him! He told him that Peter was the solid rock that His church would be built upon. Can you imagine? In a matter of days, you go from making quite possibly the biggest mistake of your life to being told by the Lord Himself that you were getting a second chance. What a beautiful picture of hope.
That’s why Peter makes this statement in 1 Peter 1:3, “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.” He was giving praise to the Lord for the fact that in His mercy, He has given us hope, despite the fact that we’ve neither earned it, nor do we deserve it.
Our God is a God who can turn mistakes into miracles of His grace. He can turn sins into testimonies of hope and demonstrations of joy. Your mistakes can be a stepping stone, a platform to something great. So don’t close the door on the past. Don’t try to forget the mistakes, because God might just be up to something that will blow your mind and use your past for His Kingdom and His glory. He is not through with you yet. He still has a plan for you.
When we feel burdened by our sin, when we are overwhelmed with guilt and shame from our mistakes, it can be so easy to fall into feeling hopeless. We lose sight of what good could come from our terrible circumstances, and we forget that the God we serve is so much bigger than all of our mistakes and shortcomings.
Take Peter for example. He was one of Jesus closest friends and companions, and on the worst day of Jesus’ life, Peter acted like he didn’t even know Jesus. After he had denied Jesus not just once, but three times, Peter was overcome with sorrow and guilt for his actions. If I had to guess, I bet Peter was thinking his time as a disciple of Jesus Christ was over. There’s no way he had any hope to get past that.
But thankfully, not only did Jesus forgive Peter, but He reinstated him! He told him that Peter was the solid rock that His church would be built upon. Can you imagine? In a matter of days, you go from making quite possibly the biggest mistake of your life to being told by the Lord Himself that you were getting a second chance. What a beautiful picture of hope.
That’s why Peter makes this statement in 1 Peter 1:3, “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.” He was giving praise to the Lord for the fact that in His mercy, He has given us hope, despite the fact that we’ve neither earned it, nor do we deserve it.
Our God is a God who can turn mistakes into miracles of His grace. He can turn sins into testimonies of hope and demonstrations of joy. Your mistakes can be a stepping stone, a platform to something great. So don’t close the door on the past. Don’t try to forget the mistakes, because God might just be up to something that will blow your mind and use your past for His Kingdom and His glory. He is not through with you yet. He still has a plan for you.
Subscribe Now for Free Daily Devotions
Recent
Archive
2026
January
When God Feels Silent but is Still at WorkHow to Rebound After a Crushing LetdownWhen Your World Falls Apart After You Did Everything RightGod Is Still Building Roads in the DesertThe Chapter That Comes After TraumaWhen Hope Feels GoneWhen Your Words Start Working Against YouGod’s Resume Is Bigger Than Your SituationWaiting on God is Not Doing NothingBefore Circumstances ChangeGetting In Your Bag When Life Feels UnfairWinning With a Bad HandOverlooked, Insulted, and Still ChosenPrepared in the Field Before the Giant AppearsYou Were Trained for This MomentTaking Off Armor That Does Not FitFormed in the Field, Not on the StageWhen the Battle Is Not Actually YoursWhen You Feel the Urge to Go Through God’s PhoneFaith After Disappointment Still CountsKeep Showing Up Even When You Are ConfusedLocked Doors Do Not Stop JesusWhen You Need an Encounter for YourselfDoubt as a DoorwaySaying What Hurts When God Is in the RoomWhere Faith and Fear CollideShutdown Does Not Mean FinishedWhen Opposition Shows Up Mid-ProgressBuilding Without Responding to the MockeryA Mind to Work in the Middle of WearinessThe Wall Rose Because the People Did Not Quit
February
When Faith Blocks the ViewThe Cost of Carrying the CrossPower Was Never the PointGod Meets You Where You AreFaith That Chooses People Over ProfitWhen the Cross Loses Its MeaningClearing the View So Christ Can Be SeenWhen Worry Becomes a Way of LifeGod Is Not Surprised by Bad LeadershipWhen God Writes on the WallGod Controls the ClockGod Is Watching the ScaleWhen God Writes the EndingYou Do Not Have to Carry This AloneWhen Life Feels Like a Jungle
2025
January
Plenty of RoomThankful for Your SeatWho God Invites to the TableThat’s the PointWe Do Not Have a Monopoly on GodStop Talking So LoudLet God Handle the Guest ListA Long-Awaited ReunionSeeing Jesus for YourselfIn Possession of a Personal PromiseGet in the Right PositionReady to ReceiveAligning Your Life for God's PromiseWaiting with ExpectancyGrounded in PrayerStrength in PrayerPatience Through PrayerStay Focused Through PrayerGod's Conditional PromisesGod’s PriorityGrounded in FaithTrusting God's TimingThe Assurance of God's PromisesIs It Well With Your Soul?Health vs. HealingStewarding Your BodyA Holistic View of SpiritualityGod Cares About Your BodyWhat You Put in MattersNourishing Your SoulThe Power of Prevention
February
The Power of a ComebackHealing from the PastStop Blaming and Start TrustingBury the Past to Claim the FutureFacing Trauma with TruthCelebrate That You SurvivedRepair What is BrokenNothing God Can’t FixDon’t Swing at Bad PitchesStick to God’s PlanDon’t Let Desperation Drive YouShift Your WeightWho Knows Best?A Good Idea Isn’t Always a God IdeaPeace in God’s PlanFinding Purpose in God’s PlanProsperity in God’s PlanTrusting God’s Plan, Pace, and ProcessKnowing When to PivotGod Hasn’t Given Up on YouNext-Level Faith Requires PerseveranceA New Revelation of GodIt’s Not All About You
No Comments