"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, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time." {1 Peter 1:3-5}
Nero’s persecution of Christians was raging in Rome. No doubt the persecution would be expanding throughout the Roman Empire. Therefore, Peter wrote to encourage believers to stand strong and remind them that this earth is simply a layover on the journey home.

The life of the believer is a life of assurance and confidence even in the face of great challenge. Through God’s great mercy we are saved and through the death, burial and resurrection of his Son the road home has been paved. The heavenly inheritance that awaits us is “shielded by God’s power.” Unlike the shiny stuff of the world it “can never perish, spoil or fade.”
“Normal” life (whatever normal is) can lull us into a temporal focus, but the valleys of life (sickness, death, divorce, job loss, job stress) remind us that heaven is our home and causes us to long for it. That’s the message that Peter’s readers needed to hear. Maybe that’s the message you need to hear today.
Prayer:
Father, the journey to heaven is fraught with distractions. Keep our eyes fixed on our certain inheritance. As we watch things rust, rot and disappear around us, thank you for the inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
God Bless!