Do you find it hard to read or understand God’s Word?  For instance read the following passage from the Book of First Peter.  Ask yourself how you feel after reading this.  Do you feel excited, bored, confused or does it give you comfort?  I venture to say that if you let your feelings dictate how you approach God’s Word then you may be disappointed in its reading.  Approaching God’s Word with an open heart and an equally open mind will allow God’s Spirit to utilize all your senses to convict you, challenge you and give you much needed comfort in life’s living.  Honesty is a necessary component in being authentic.  Therefore, I must be willing to be honest with myself in searching/learning the Word of God.  Do I go into to with an agenda to find what I wish to see or do I read God’s Word and let it guide my life.  It may seem a nuanced idea but it is essential to establishing God’s Sovereignty and Will for our lives.  Either He leads or someone else leads in my life, that includes being self-led.

I will provide a bullet point list of what I believe this passage proclaims immediately following, but don’t trust me where God’s Word is concerned.  Be a Barean, search for yourself, ask the Holy Spirit to guide you.  If you come to a point where reading this Word gives you peace, joy and conviction, you are probably aligned with God’s Spirit.  

1Peter2:4-20 

To whom coming, as unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God, and precious, Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.  Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded.  Unto you therefore which believe he is precious: but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner,  And a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence, even to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient: whereunto also they were appointed.  But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light: Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.  Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul; Having your conversation honest among the Gentiles: that, whereas they speak against you as evildoers, they may by your good works, which they shall behold, glorify God in the day of visitation.   Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake: whether it be to the king, as supreme; Or unto governors, as unto them that are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers, and for the praise of them that do well. For so is the will of God, that with well doing ye may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men: As free, and not using your liberty for a cloke of maliciousness, but as the servants of God. Honour all men. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honour the king.  Servants, be subject to your masters with all fear; not only to the good and gentle, but also to the froward. For this is thankworthy, if a man for conscience toward God endure grief, suffering wrongfully. For what glory is it, if, when ye be buffeted for your faults, ye shall take it patiently? but if, when ye do well, and suffer for it, ye take it patiently, this is acceptable with God.

Father, I pray that You give me the strength and courage to be authentic and true to this Word.  Please allow me to abstain from the use of my Christian faith as a cloke of maliciousness.  Let me honour all men, living in righteousness so that unbelievers may glorify You and put to silence the ignorance of foolish men.  Let me patiently endure suffering when it is deserved or false so that those in captivity might see Your Heart and accept the opportunity of salvation.  Let them glorify God when they persecute my good works.  Let me obey the leaders whom God has placed in position of authority, leaving their judgment to Him.  May my offerings be found acceptable to God through the Lord Jesus Christ our advocate and King.

• We are chosen and precious to God, but unacceptable to man, just as Christ Jesus was rejected.  We have been designed with purpose to be a Holy Priesthood and offer up acceptable sacrifices to God in honor or our living, “Rock of Ages”, Jesus Christ our Lord.
• We shall not be frustrated in our purpose as we believe upon the Cornerstone of Christ.
• To we who believe, Jesus is precious, but to those who do not believe He is an offense, a stumbling block disallowed by religious leaders in the construction of our faith.
• Those who do not believe and are disobedient to God’s Word are also a part of God’s Plan.
• We were once individuals without mercy and having been brought into the marvelous light of the Lord Jesus Christ we are now a chosen, elect-nation of people that have obtained mercy and priesthood to proclaim the Glory of God through Jesus.  This fact makes us look odd to them who do not see the Truth of Jesus.
• We should abstain from fleshly lusts with are the root of the war in each of our souls.
• As beloved of God we should walk and talk in such a way among unbelievers that it glorifies God, even when they call us evil, they cannot deny the goodness in our walk and subsequently glorify God.
• God raises up our rulers, therefore we should obey them in every ordinance in our understanding that this is the Will of Almighty God.
• In our obedience we will put to silence the wisdom of foolish men as we voluntarily submit to God’s appointed leaders instead of putting on false face and secretly despising God’s Will.
• Fear God, love believers, honor all men.
• We honor God by accepting suffering whether deserved or not for what patience does it take just to take criticism when it is right?  Isn’t it the man who endures undeserved criticism who honors God in his patience?