In Part 1 we learned that the Lord is requiring us to work with Him in assessing what we are doing and how closely aligned we are to His heart and His plans. Today we continue that reflection through the lens of the Holy Spirit as we dig further into 1 Peter 5, looking at the remaining verses 7 – 11. As we consider our ways, today we look more intently at how we consider the cares of this world in light of who Christ is and what He requires of us.
Activation:
Serve God Willingly
7 casting all your cares [all your anxieties, all your worries, and all your concerns, once and for all] on Him, for He cares about you [with deepest affection, and watches over you very carefully].
1 Peter 5:7 (AMP)
Take a moment to sit in this verse. What anxieties are you carrying that should be handed over to the Lord? Because He cares so deeply for you, He wants to be the one to carry them. As you read this verse imagine God removing your burdens and exchanging them for the peace that comes from surrendering to His care. Allow this lightness to rest on you as you hand over all the heaviness you are carrying.
Serve God Willingly
8 Be sober [well balanced and self-disciplined], be alert and cautious at all times. That enemy of yours, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion [fiercely hungry], seeking someone to devour.
9 But resist him, be firm in your faith [against his attack—rooted, established, immovable], knowing that the same experiences of suffering are being experienced by your brothers and sisters throughout the world. [You do not suffer alone.]
1 Peter 5:8-9 (AMP)
Allow the Lord to search your heart and reveal areas where you may have become intoxicated, distracted, or indifferent toward worldly things. Consider how this might expose you to unnecessary attacks. What are some ways you can stand firm in your faith to resist the influence of the wicked one?
We find the instruction in James 4:7
Things to Avoid
So submit to [the authority of] God. Resist the devil [stand firm against him] and he will flee from you.
James 4:7 (AMP)
Ask the Lord to show you what this looks like for you and identify the areas in your life that are not fully submitted to Him.
10 After you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace [who imparts His blessing and favor], who called you to His own eternal glory in Christ, will Himself complete, confirm, strengthen, and establish you [making you what you ought to be].
11 To Him be dominion (power, authority, sovereignty) forever and ever. Amen.
1 Peter 5:10-11 (AMP) 
Consider the promises that are listed in these verses. Ask the Lord to reveal what that will look like for you specifically. As He does this, allow the hope of our eternal salvation and glory in Christ to encourage your heart. Praise Him for His supremacy above all things.
#lionbites
Unapologetically Marcia 