Thursday, April 23, 2026

Opening Scripture

Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in him. Fear the Lord, you his holy people, for those who fear him lack nothing. The lions may grow weak and hungry, but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing. Come, my children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the Lord. Whoever of you loves life and desires to see many good days, keep your tongue from evil and your lips from telling lies. Turn from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it. The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears are attentive to their cry. Psalm 34:8-15

Opening Prayer

Gracious Heavenly Father, thank you for your love and mercy, your protection and provision, your comfort and healing. Help me to trust you in all things and orient my life toward you today. May my mind’s attention and heart’s affection be on you. Guide my choices and direct my decisions for your glory. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Daily Bible Reading

1 Peter 3

Wives, in the same way submit yourselves to your own husbands so that, if any of them do not believe the word, they may be won over without words by the behavior of their wives, when they see the purity and reverence of your lives. Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as elaborate hairstyles and the wearing of gold jewelry or fine clothes. Rather, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight. For this is the way the holy women of the past who put their hope in God used to adorn themselves. They submitted themselves to their own husbands, like Sarah, who obeyed Abraham and called him her lord. You are her daughters if you do what is right and do not give way to fear.

Husbands, in the same way be considerate as you live with your wives, and treat them with respect as the weaker partner and as heirs with you of the gracious gift of life, so that nothing will hinder your prayers.

Finally, all of you, be like-minded, be sympathetic, love one another, be compassionate and humble. Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult. On the contrary, repay evil with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing. For, “Whoever would love life and see good days must keep their tongue from evil and their lips from deceitful speech. They must turn from evil and do good; they must seek peace and pursue it. For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their prayer, but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.”

Who is going to harm you if you are eager to do good? But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed. “Do not fear their threats; do not be frightened.” But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander. For it is better, if it is God’s will, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil. 

For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive in the Spirit. After being made alive, he went and made proclamation to the imprisoned spirits—to those who were disobedient long ago when God waited patiently in the days of Noah while the ark was being built. In it only a few people, eight in all, were saved through water, and this water symbolizes baptism that now saves you also—not the removal of dirt from the body but the pledge of a clear conscience toward God. It saves you by the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who has gone into heaven and is at God’s right hand—with angels, authorities and powers in submission to him.

Reflection  

In today’s passage, Peter moves the principle of honoring God through submission to authority in the realm of society to the realm of the home. In the family, followers of Jesus should bear witness to God’s redemptive work through their lifestyle. Specifically, a Christian husband or wife should conduct themself in ways that draw an unbelieving spouse to faith in Jesus.

Peter’s earlier admonition could be rephrased here, “Live such good lives among (your family) that… they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us” (1 Peter 2:12).

Interestingly, women found freedom and equality in the church that they did not enjoy elsewhere in the community. Especially in corporate worship, under the influence of the Spirit, there was a tendency for some women to reject propriety and bring embarrassment to their husbands and the church.

As with “slaves,” it’s worth noting that Peter even addresses the appropriate conduct of women at all, given their place in the culture at that time. Peter regards women as independent, moral agents whose decisions have implications, not just for themselves, but for their husbands and the church – quite a revolutionary concept!

Similarly, Paul addresses the issue of appropriate conduct in worship with the Christians in Corinth (1 Corinthians 11). It’s important to remember that the Church was still being established, and many new believers were coming out of pagan and cultic practices. There were popular pagan religions, as well as mystery cults, secret societies, and underground movements throughout the Roman Empire. As God’s people, new Christians were learning what was proper and what wasn’t.

In this context, Peter reframes the social norm. Rather than being viewed as a sexual object or “possession” that proves the wealth and power of her husband, women should embrace the inner beauty of godly character and modesty. Specifically, Peter calls out those who dress to attract a man’s attention or compete with other women.

This posture of humility and propriety also had the benefit of reducing the “class distinctions” within the church, since wealthier women could afford to dress much more elaborately than poorer women. “Dressing down” was an opportunity to promote harmony and equality within the body of Christ. “Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised” (Proverbs 31:30).

Peter then addresses men who must also live in submission to authority. Peter doesn’t entertain the possibility of a Christian husband with an unbelieving wife. In that culture, if the head of the family changed religions, it would be normal that his wife, servants, and children would also change. This helps explain the multiple references in the New Testament to the conversion of a “household.”

For instance, in Acts 16, when Paul and Silas were beaten and thrown into prison in Philippi, their midnight prayer and praise service in the inner dungeon was interrupted by a violent earthquake that opened the prison doors and loosened their chains. Assuming the prisoners had all escaped, the jailer was about to kill himself when Paul stopped him.

The jailer then brought them out and asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household.” Then, they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all the others in his house. At that hour of the night, the jailer took them and washed their wounds; immediately, he and all his household were baptized.

The responsibility of husbands was to love their wives and be considerate of them. Again, this is a radical departure from the social norm! The Greek says, “Husbands dwell with (them) according to knowledge as with a weaker vessel” and “rendering honor as joint-heirs of grace” so as “not to be hindered in your prayers.”

“According to knowledge” (gnōsin) refers to shared life and experience – personal insight and understanding – that prompts compassionate and considerate care. The term “weaker vessel” speaks to physical strength and the corresponding vulnerability. Unfortunately, then as now, women were victims of violence and intimidation. Peter emphatically forbids any abuse of power in this relationship! The differences between men and women should be an opportunity for shared blessing, not an excuse for bad behavior.

Peter’s declaration that wives are “joint heirs” with their husbands of God’s gracious gift was a foreign concept for that society. His warning to husbands that violating their sacred responsibility to love their wives and be considerate of them would negatively impact their relationship with God added even greater weight.

Peter summarizes a Christian’s default posture in all relationships – not just at home and church – in the next section. “Finally, all of you, be like-minded, be sympathetic, love one another, be compassionate and humble. Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult. On the contrary, repay evil with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing.”

Flourishing Habit

Flourishing Christian

“But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander.”

In today’s passage, verse 15 highlights the center of the Christian life: establish in your heart that Jesus Christ is Lord. That’s the pathway to salvation and the basis for discipleship. Until we do this, nothing else makes sense or matters much. After we do this, we can give an honest reason for the hope that we have.

In Renovation of the Heart, Dallas Willard says, “We live from our heart. The part of us that drives and organizes our life is not the physical. Our life and how we find the world now and in the future is, almost totally, a simple result of what we have become in the depths of our being – in our spirit, will, or heart. From there we see our world and interpret reality. From there we make our choices, break forth into action, try to change our world.

The revolution of Jesus is, in the first place and continuously a revolution of the human heart… a revolution of character, which proceeds by changing people from the inside through ongoing personal relationship to God in Christ and to one another. It is one that changes their ideas, beliefs, feelings, and habits of choice, as well as their bodily tendencies and social relations. It penetrates to the deepest layers of their soul.”

Have you established Jesus Christ as Lord in your heart?

What are you becoming “in the depths of your being”?

Can you give an honest reason for the hope that you have?

Remember: Nothing changes until something changes!