David is in great distress. He is the victim of treachery. He considers flight, he calls on God to punish his adversaries and he expresses his trust in God. The…
Paul has more to say to the Thessalonians with whom he had had only 3 weeks of ministry. His pastor's heart wants to warn them of the inevitability of suffering…
Asaph, the psalmist, faced a situation which often perplexes us "why do the wicked do so well?" However he over-generalised and forgot God's judgement. He found a small foothold in…
The psalmist is in a dreadful situation and prays simply "Lord, save me". There is only one place to turn. He knows he has been heard and praises God for…
After speaking to elders Peter encourages humble respect in all members of a fellowship for each other. He teaches how to face (1) life, (2) our spiritual enemy, (3) suffering…
Peter lays down a clear charge to elders/shepherds. In using the shepherd metaphor he follows the example of Jesus the Good Shepherd. The work of the elder/shepherd should be done…
We should not be surprised when we suffer. In fact Peter says we should rejoice! At the same time we should not invite suffering for the wrong reasons and we…
We experience undeserved suffering in our fallen world. Peter urges us to consider our future when Christ returns. This will help us to live a lifestyle now which will help…
Many of us feel we shouldn't suffer but Peter thinks it is normal. He wants us to witness through suffering. We should love one another throughout while keeping a clear…
Peter tells his readers and us that we are sanctified, "set apart". Our reaction should be praise. The unavoidable concomitant is suffering in various kinds of trials. God's kingdom has…