The Apostle Peter wrote this first epistle to people who were facing a great deal of hardship and persecution from those in authority and from unbelievers in general.

How do you respond to persecution and mistreatment when it comes? Are you shocked and angered by it? Or do you respond in godly ways? What was Peter’s advice to God’s persecuted people in the first century and could it be just as important for us today?

Today’s Readings:

Ezekiel 43 & 44
Psalm 134.1-3
Proverbs 29.7
1 Peter 2.1-25

Responding to Persecution & Hardship

1 Peter 2.1-25:

As Newborn Babes …

Before we talk about responding to persecution, let’s look at the two opening verses in this chapter:

¹ Therefore, laying aside all malice, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and all evil speaking, ² as newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby, ³ if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is gracious.

Anyone who has been around a newborn baby knows they crave milk and will let you know when they want more! A baby who had no appetite for milk and refused to eat would soon be malnourished. Neither can believers grow spiritually without a steady intake of the Scriptures.

Do you “delight” in God’s Word? Do you crave it like a baby craves milk? If not, pray and ask God to give you that hunger. Then get out your Bible, start reading, and make a plan to read it on a regular basis. You can sign up below if you need encouragement with that commitment.

But who was Peter writing to in this epistle? And what else did he want them to know?

Responding to Persecution in the First Century

Peter was writing to believers who were suffering intense persecution and who lived in a very ungodly society. Besides encouraging them to be built up in God’s Word, he wanted them to know how to respond to mistreatment in a godly way.

His advice is for us, as well:

11 Beloved, I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul, 12 having your conduct honorable among the Gentiles, that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may, by your good works which they observe, glorify God in the day of visitation. 13 Therefore submit yourselves to every ordinance of man …

Rather than responding like those who don’t know God, we are to see the difficulties we face, whether outright persecution or other hardships, as opportunities to allow unbelievers to see Christ in us.

How Should We Respond to Persecution?

We, too, should behave honorably, have a right attitude toward the law, and submit to those in authority, even those who are harsh or unfair:

18 Servants, be submissive to your masters with all fear, not only to the good and gentle, but also to the harsh. 19 For this is commendable, if because of conscience toward God one endures grief, suffering wrongfully. 20 For what credit is it if, when you are beaten for your faults, you take it patiently? But when you do good and suffer, if you take it patiently, this is commendable before God. 21 For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps:

²² “Who committed no sin,
Nor was deceit found in His mouth”;

²³ who, when He was reviled, did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously,

We’ll talk more about this tomorrow, but we’re not to return evil for evil or reviling for reviling when we’re faced with persecution or any other kind of mistreatment. Instead, we’re to trust God who will deal with and judge all things in His time. But we can’t do that without His help.

Praying from the Bible for His Help

Have you ever heard someone suggest you pray with your Bible open? One reason is so you can pray back to God passages that speak to your heart or challenge and convict you.

Here is a suggestion for praying today’s passages:

Lord, please give me that desire for your word. Help me to crave it like a newborn craves milk. And help me to abstain from fleshly lusts, whether personal struggles or the desire to get even with those who mistreat me. Help me to conduct myself honorably, especially around unbelievers and those who speak evil against me. Let them see my good works and glorify You.

Help me to submit to those You have placed in authority over me, not just to those who are good and gentle, but also those who are harsh. Help me to endure suffering patiently, even when I’m wronged because this is commendable before you. Lord Jesus, help me to follow your example. When You were reviled, You didn’t revile in return. Instead, you entrusted Yourself to Your Father who will judge all things rightly. Help me to leave that judgment in Your hands, Father. I ask this in Jesus’ name. Amen.

This is just one example of praying from the Bible. You might also try praying some of Paul’s prayers (Eph. 1.17-19, 3.16-19; Col. 1.9-14) or verses like Philippians 2.3-4 or 2.14-15. And there are many other passages that can easily be turned into prayer.

Today’s Other Readings:

Ezekiel 43 & 44:

Our Sin & His Mercy

Now to our Old Testament reading. Chapter 43 begins:

Afterward he brought me to the gate, the gate that faces toward the east. 2 And behold, the glory of the God of Israel came from the way of the east. His voice was like the sound of many waters; and the earth shone with His glory. 3 It was like the appearance of the vision which I saw—like the vision which I saw when I came to destroy the city. The visions were like the vision which I saw by the River Chebar; and I fell on my face. 4 And the glory of the LORD came into the temple by way of the gate which faces toward the east. 5 The Spirit lifted me up and brought me into the inner court; and behold, the glory of the LORD filled the temple.

Matthew Henry had this to say about this chapter, “After Ezekiel had surveyed the temple of God, he had a vision of the glory of God and it caused him to fall on his face. When Christ was crucified, and the things freely given to us by God, through Him, are shown to us by the Holy Ghost, they make us ashamed for our sins. This frame of mind prepares us for fuller discoveries of the mysteries of redeeming love …”

When Ezekiel saw the glory of God, he also saw himself in comparison and he fell on his face. Genuine conversion causes us to see our sin for what it really is—an offense against a Holy God. Only then can we fully understand the love, grace, and mercy of God. Like Ezekiel, when we see ourselves in comparison to Him and His holiness and seek to please Him through His empowering grace, He will take us yet deeper into His truths.

Psalm 134.1-3:

Bless the Lord

Proverbs 29.7:

The Cause of the Poor

The righteous considers the cause of the poor, but the wicked does not understand such knowledge.

Again, what a timely thought. Most of us sit down on Thanksgiving Day to tables heaping with food, probably eat too much, and have plenty left over. Let’s not forget those who are less fortunate, not just with our words, but with our deeds, as well.

Closing Thoughts:

Do you crave the Word like a newborn baby craves milk? Do you hunger to know Jesus better?

And how do you respond when persecution, mistreatment, or hardships come your way? How do you treat those who are harsh or unkind? How can you better follow the example of Jesus by entrusting yourself to God?

Coming Up:

In the next few days, we’ll talk about how to respond to an unreasonable spouse and what to do when we’re struggling to trust God. We’ll also discuss the question, “Is the Bible enough in a complex world?”

I hope you’ll sign up so you don’t miss any of them. You might also like to check out our new sister site Joyful Marriage Ministries. While you’re there, click the “events” tab for information on our upcoming events and ministries, like our Marriage ICU© for couples who are experiencing problems that require one-on-one help.

If this post spoke to you, I would so appreciate it if you would share it on your favorite social media platform.

And if you don’t already have a copy, you might want to purchase a copy of my eBook, 10 Benefits of Keeping a Spiritual Journal. It’s available on Kindle or in paperback. The paperback book has 31 days of blank journaling pages and prompts to help you get started.

Blessings as you grow in Christ,
Donna ♥

Note about this post:

I began blogging through the Bible in 2012 and have done so every year since then. These posts are the product of many edits and additions throughout those years. Some days I make major changes, other days fewer. 

A while ago, I read Jen Wilkin’s book None Like Him about the attributes of God. One is His incomprehensibility. In it, she says, “God is incomprehensible. This does not mean that he is unknowable, but that he is unable to be fully known.”

I have found that to be true each year as I’ve gone back through the Bible. Sometimes I find myself feeling as if a passage just appeared there for the first time. I’m reminded that no matter how many times we read through the Bible, we have only scratched the surface. I hope you feel the same.

Indeed these are the mere edges of His ways,
And how small a whisper we hear of Him!
But the thunder of His power who can understand?” (Job 26.14)

I sometimes LINKUP with these blogs.