1 Peter 1:3-9
3Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! By his great mercy he has given us a new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4and into an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, 5who are being protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. 6In this you rejoice, even if now for a little while you have had to suffer various trials, 7so that the genuineness of your faith—being more precious than gold that, though perishable, is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. 8Although you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and rejoice with an indescribable and glorious joy, 9for you are receiving the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.
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“William Barclay, the beloved Scottish theologian and Bible teacher, was rather hard of hearing. He relied on lip reading in close conversation but had real difficulty making out words spoken to him from far away.
After preaching in a Glasgow church one day, Barclay was greeting at the door when a man came up to him, shook his hand and said, ‘Dr. Barclay, I want to thank you for saving my life.’
Barclay was baffled because he couldn’t recall ever meeting the man. ‘I’m sorry,’ he replied, ‘I don’t remember that.’
‘One evening about a year ago, at dusk, I was sitting on the steps of the church, feeling dejected. I called out to you as you walked out of the church: ‘Life is terrible!’ I said. ‘I’m going to throw myself into the river and drown.’
‘You waved to me as cheery as could be and said, ‘Well, the best of luck to you!’ That comment brought me back to reality. I realized that killing myself would be foolish, and today, life is good.’”
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Something to ponder today.
Peace and blessings this day.
Pastor V.
