Confirming Where We Stand – Each Day
On vacation, we’ve been wandering around the island of Ireland, and each day, we need to relocate ourselves! So we compare notes and maps in the car until we’re positive that we know where we are in a foreign country. Then we can proceed with confidence. One of the wonderful things about God’s word is that we can take various scriptures, combine them appropriately, and use them to find ourselves. What is it that God is calling me to do for Him today?
Psalm 71.1-3 “In you, O Lord, do I take refuge; let me never be put to shame! … Be to me a rock of refuge, to which I may continually come; you have given the command to save me, for you are my rock and my fortress.”
Luke 13.17 “As he said these things, all His adversaries were put to shame, and all the people rejoiced at all the glorious things that were done by Him.”
1 Peter 2.15 “For this is the will of God, that by doing good you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish people.”
As followers of Christ, we depend on the providence of God in our daily walk. We are not frightened in any situation because God has given the command to save us. This rock of refuge is our foundation for letting our light shine before men.
Jesus is our example. He chose a Sabbath day to teach, and then also to heal a woman. When the hypocritical synagogue ruler scolded the people (!), Jesus silenced him. Look at the impact of Jesus’ actions: “…all His adversaries were put to shame, and all the people rejoiced.”
Peter lays it out simply. We should “silence the ignorance of foolish people by doing good.” Earlier in chapter 2, he emphasized our identity as God’s chosen people and he reminded us that we are strangers and aliens in the world. In verse 12: “Live such good lives among the pagans, that though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day He visits us.”
In our daily walk, we submit to every authority instituted among men, but “it is God’s will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish men.” As Christians, we have purpose in our lives, and our God is our refuge. Each day, we boldly seek an opportunity to cause good people to rejoice at the things we do for God.