His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. 2 Peter 1:3, NIV

 

God’s children are called to be different from the people of the world. In the world, a person’s success is measured by what they can achieve with their money. Peter Drucker has famously described it as: “he who has the most toys when he dies, wins …” However, it is also a fact that no person takes anything with them to the grave. We leave all our earthly possessions behind when we die. If it is true that we were created by God for eternity, but our earthly possessions are temporary, then gathering things is not what life is about.

 

Peter has taught us in the first part of this verse that the Lord provides everything we need to live a godly life. In the second part of this verse, he gives the reason why – because we know Jesus as Lord! There was a day in our lives when we met Jesus, and we came to know his grace, glory and goodness. He became Lord of our lives. We do not belong to ourselves anymore, but to him who saved us on the cross.

 

Peter heard the voice of the Lord that day at the Sea of Galilee, when Jesus said: “Follow me!” And so every believer bears witness to that day when we came to know Christ as Lord of our lives. We all heard Jesus calling us by name to follow him and to share the rest of our lives with him. We became aware of his glory. He is so different from any other good person in history; he is Lord. He is the Son of the living God, as Peter confessed in Matthew 16:16.

 

Jesus’ disciples from the first century lived with him. They saw his glory. Peter was an eyewitness on the Mount of Transfiguration. They saw Jesus basked in heavenly light, with the Father’s voice sounding from heaven, saying: “This is my Son, whom I have chosen; listen to him” (Luke 9:35). Peter and the other disciples have seen many such instances where Jesus’ identity as the Son of God was proclaimed. They had seen his power in times when he ruled even over nature, when he walked on water and stilled the stormy seas. When they saw this in Matthew 8:23-27, they asked: “What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the waves obey him!”

 

We know our Lord Jesus by the words of the apostles, who lived with him and were taught by him, like Peter. We trust in their eyewitness reports as given to us in the Gospels. They bear witness to Christ’s glory and goodness. They were willing to trust Jesus with their lives and their eternal future. They were prepared to be obedient to his commands and were willing to die for him. The greatest deed of Jesus’ glory was his resurrection from the dead; they were eyewitnesses of seeing him alive after his death on the cross.

 

Jesus lives today. He continues to reveal himself with glory and power in our lives. He calls on people to trust and follow him today. For us who know him personally, he is the foundation on which we build our lives. We believe that he knows what we need and provides for it all. He still calls on us to follow him and to make a difference in this world by living out our faith in a practical manner every day.

 

Prayer: Lord, thank you for your Word bearing the eyewitness reports of disciples who have seen your glory and goodness. This was enough for them to trust their lives into your care. Your voice also calls me today to follow you. Lord, fill my heart with faith and trust in you. Guide me to where you want to use me today, for your glory. Amen.