God’s Grace To See Me Through
BRD REFLECTIONS:
(Victor Chan, PTM for Pastoral Care Ministry)
READ:
For this devotion, I have focused on the verse 2 Peter 2:9:“if this is so, then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials and to hold the unrighteous for punishment on the day of judgment.”
OBSERVE:
2 Peter 2:4-7 illustrated that my God is a God who judges. In the past, God judged the fallen angels for their pride and rebellion. This happened even before the universe was created. When the world was created, God judged the people of Noah’s day for their disobedience, indifference and rejection towards Him. God has also judged Sodom and Gomorrah for their sins and rebellion at their peak, specifically for their homosexual practices. These vivid examples taught me that no one is spared from God’s judgement, not even angels. None can stand against God and avoid His judgement. It is a matter of time… just when but it is certain to come!
However, amidst the verses, especially in 2 Peter 2:7-8, I could see another aspect of God. God’s grace is made available and extended to those who believe, are faithful and righteous before Him. God protected Noah and his family from the flood. He also delivered Lot from the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, places where Lot was living in daily torment and temptations, witnessing their sinful practices.
APPLY:
As I reflected on these verses, I am thankful for God’s grace that delivers me from trials and temptations so that I can be spared from God’s future judgement; provided that I continue to believe and stay faithful to Him. Of course, this does not mean that God will always deliver me from my trials and temptations! Sometimes He will do so but at other times, He will either give me the grace to go through it or remove the potential crisis that will bring harm or danger to me.
I recalled the times when I was ostracized for being a Christian in one of my former workplaces. I was not willing to submit to my superiors’ and colleagues’ “colourful lives and vices”. They would make fun of me and give me additional workload. Worst of all, they would intentionally set me up so that I would either fall or get into trouble. But through it all, God always extended His grace and delivered me through one of the methods as mentioned above.
DO:
I will continue to trust in God and be faithful. I will not take His grace for granted.
PRAY:
Father God, help me to stay faithful towards You. Help me not to take Your grace for granted. Strengthen me when I must go through trials and temptations. Deliver me according to Your will. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.
