But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellence of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; for you once were not a people, but now you are the people of God; you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. 1 Peter 2:9-10.

A wonderful future awaits those who love peace. Psalm 37:37. “There is no peace for the wicked,” says my God. Isaiah 57:21.

And continuing our 351 Old Testament prophecies, promises of God, fulfilled in Jesus Christ, we come to number 66: Life comes through faith in Him. Psalm 2:12: Do homage to the Son, that He not become angry, and you perish in the way, for His wrath may soon be kindled. How blessed are all who take refuge in Him! And, John 20:31: But these have been written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name.

I loved this this morning in My Utmost for His Highest by Oswald Chambers: “How long is it going to take God to free us from the unhealthy habit of thinking only about ourselves? We must get to the point of being sick to death of ourselves, until there is no longer any surprise at anything God might tell us about ourselves. We cannot reach and understand the depths of our own meagerness. There is only one place where we are right with God, and that is in Christ Jesus. Once we are there, we have to pour out our lives for all we are worth in this ministry of the inner life.”

Our country is nearing the anniversary of its birth as a new nation founded upon the words “all men are created equal”. I can’t help but think about that today as I read Scripture. The first Scripture verse cited above was also in My Utmost for His Highest. And it is only with Creator God – Father, Son, Spirit, that we can begin to understand His teaching. Remember, this Scripture verse was written by Peter over 2,000 years ago and applies equally to all generations of mankind! We today and those living then when it was written, use the expression “chosen race” to exclude others, “holy nation” to think we are better than every other nation. And in that we exclude the most important part – A people for God’s own possession – so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light. Until Him guiding us in His truth, we all of us, were not a people. Until Him guiding us in His love, we all of us, had no mercy. Until Him – we all of us live in darkness not realizing that without Him we are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked – the very words of warning Jesus gave to the church at Laodicea. Why? Because they thought, “I am rich, and have become wealthy, and have need of nothing” Revelation 3:17. What does it mean “all men are created equal” – if not that we – all of us – were created deeply needing God? For there is no partiality with God. Romans 2:11. That means something. Therefore you have no excuse, everyone of you who passes judgment, for in that which you judge another, you condemn yourself; for you who judge practice the same things. And we know that the judgment of God rightly falls upon those who practice such things. But do you suppose this, O man, when you pass judgment on those who practice such things and do the same yourself, that you will escape the judgment of God? Or do you think lightly of the riches of His kindness and tolerance and patience, not knowing that the kindness of God leads you to repentance? Romans 2:1-4. All men have the same rights and responsibilities to God; and all men will one day stand before our Creator. What will He see? What will we see? He is calling us out of darkness now and into His marvelous light. Do you think lightly of the riches of His kindness and tolerance and patience, not knowing that the kindness of God leads you to repentance? In that we are all of us equal, in our need for repentance from dead works. We are so used to this life and the way things are lived here that we can’t even see the kingdom of God working actively. We may glance up and see something, as of an oasis of His love and His truth, but it seems so far removed that we look back down at how things are here now pressing against everything. But never forget God’s love speaking better things to your spirit. But you are a chosen race…a royal priesthood…a holy nation…a people for God’s own possession…so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness and into His marvelous light…for you once were not a people…but now you are the people of God! And you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy! We may not receive mercy from others in this life, or extend mercy to others, but our God IS merciful and we are loved!

***MORNING NEEDS O God, the author of all good, I come to You for the grace this day will require…I step out into a wicked world and know that without You, I can do nothing – that everything with which I shall be concerned, however harmless in itself, may prove an occasion of sin or folly, unless I am kept by Your power…Preserve my understanding from the cunning of error, my afflictions from love of idols, my character from stain of vice, my profession from every form of evil. May I engage in nothing in which I cannot implore Your blessing and into which I cannot invite Your inspection…Teach me how to use the world and not abuse it, to improve my talents, to redeem my time, to walk in wisdom toward those without and in kindness to those within the world, to do good to all men and especially to my fellow Christians. And to You be the glory. Arthur G. Bennett, the Valley of Vision (Banner of Truth, 1975), 118. Adapted.***