In Abundance

DEVOTION 2 PETER IN ABUNDANCE 2 Peter 1:1-2 1:1 Simon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who through the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ have received a faith as precious as ours: 2 Grace and peace be yours in abundance through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. NIV There is an exceptional complication surrounding this word faith. When examining the original language it carries so much meaning way beyond the simple word faith. It is because of God, because of Jesus Christ and His intervention into our lives that we received a persuasion, a moral conviction of religious truth or the truthfulness of God, especially the reliance on Christ for our salvation. This is all wrapped up in that word faith. What a blessing to be able to be persuaded in such a truth. How so many people are doped by the devil into believing anything other than this truth is beyond comprehension. God is far more powerful than the devil, yet He allows people to make up their own minds as to who will persuade them. God’s offer is open and available to all who would accept it. He is willing to extend this faith, this truthfulness about him to everyone, but unfortunately some just refuse to listen because they have been deceived by the devil into thinking that believing, trusting in Jesus Christ is foolish. He tried to deceive Jesus into thinking it was foolish to go to the cross by offering all the riches of this world. Jesus turned him down, but some people have not. They have accepted his deception, but we who trust in God have turned down the devil and have turned to God, accepting all He has to offer. Just a portion of this offering is an abundance of grace and peace. Consider that it is not just a sampling of grace and peace or just a little of it, enough to get by, but it is an abundance, an overflowing, a continual multiplying of it, becoming more and more each and every moment of our life. God’s grace and peace, his influence and spiritual prosperity continue to increase in our life every moment. We are growing in Christ every day we live, gaining greater insights into the truth of God. We do not just learn a few basics and then are expected to live for God; no we are always being given more and more, constantly increasing in the knowledge of Him. The deceptions of the devil that we once were under has been stripped away and replaced with the wonderful truth of God and in abundance. God is not cheap, His is not stingy, and He does not hoard His truth, His gifts, His fruit, His grace and peace. He does not keep them to Himself thinking He needs to be a good steward of His grace and peace, no He freely gives it, as much as we can receive. He gives in abundance.