Today’s reading is 1 Peter 1

Tom writes:

I suspect that all Peter’s life he kept coming back to that moment on the beach, broiled fish in his belly, when Jesus told him to feed His sheep (John 21:17). This letter shows us what Peter did with that. For Peter, feeding sheep meant telling people how small they are... and how big God is. On some days I know I am puny (particularly on bin-day - ooh my arms ache after having to drag those heavy bins to the pavement). On some days I see the transience of my life. But I spend a lot of the time avoiding that particular topic of thought. Peter, however, rams it back in my face - I am like grass (1:24), I wither, I am a child (1:14). I need my ego bashed. I need to know none of this could possibly depend on me. I need to know that moving a recycling bin is just about my limit. That is food to my soul, as perverse as it may sound. And then I need to know that God is the Father, that he foreknew us all and he keeps things in heaven. He is rich in mercy, He is holy, He is the impartial judge, He is the one who raised Jesus from the dead.

In short, He is very very big. His little finger stretches further in every direction than the arm-span of all of humanity standing side by side. I could stretch my mind back in time to the very dawn of the Age... and He would have been sat there, enjoying the view. I could gather every person together of every different culture and time... and He would have watched every one of us grow; he would have been the Father of us all. And we could gather up every fragment of gold and every diamond and every treasure of every nation... and it would just seem like a piece of belly-button fluff alongside His riches. God is so big. And He has chosen us. This hulking great God is shielding puny old us with his power. He is sanctifying us with his spirit. He is showing us that he is good. Oh what an amazing meal this is. Oh what a miraculous catch of fish Peter is serving up for us. I am so deeply grateful to him. But I’m so much more grateful to Jesus.

Question for reflection

So much in our culture wants us to focus on our own self-esteem. Are you building your identity on what you are good at, or are you coming to the greatest of God and his love for puny old you as the foundation for your identity?

1 Peter 1 - Tuesday 8th October