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.
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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 JungleWhat You Are Leaning On MattersPeace Comes From the InsideRemember What God Has Already DoneProtecting Your Peace on PurposeWhen You Have to Say It Out LoudTrust Is a Long GameWhen Joy Breaks ContainmentGod Shows Up in Hard SeasonsKeep Moving When Everything Says StopGet Ready for What You Are Praying ForFaith That Is Willing to WorkWorship Is How We Acknowledge God’s HandDarkness Does Not Decide the Outcome
March
The Foundation Of JusticeEyes Wide OpenThe Heart Of CompassionLiving The BeatitudesThe Power Of CommunityBreaking Chains Of DebtCelebrating Small VictoriesThe Widow's Offering ReimaginedThe Good Samaritan's EconomicsTurning TablesThe Rich Young Ruler's ChoiceStrength In UnityThe Parable Of The WorkersBreaking Bread TogetherThe Prophetic VoiceLove In ActionThe Least Of TheseSabbath JusticeThe Persistent WidowWelcoming The StrangerThe Year Of JubileeFaith Without WorksBuilding On RockThe Mission ContinuesInvesting In EternitySeeds Of FaithLiving In The Shadow Of The CrossCounting The True CostJustice Flows Like WaterThe Strength Of CommunityLiving Out Your Faith
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