Wednesday, March 25, 2026
Scripture Readings
- Primary Reading: 1 Peter 5, 2 Peter 1
Devotional Thought
Peter writes these final words to believers scattered across Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia—ordinary people facing pressure for their faith. To them he says, “Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you” (1 Peter 5:6-7). Then he adds a warning that lands with force: “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour” (5:8). This is not abstract theology. Peter, who once slept in Gethsemane while Jesus prayed, knew how quickly vigilance slips into slumber. He calls us to watchfulness, but not to fear—”resist stedfast,” he says, knowing that “the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world” (5:9). Suffering is not a sign that God has abandoned us; it is the common lot of the faithful, and the God of all grace “hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus” (5:10).
Then, turning to 2 Peter 1, the same apostle gives us a ladder of graces: virtue, knowledge, temperance, patience, godliness, brotherly kindness, charity (2 Peter 1:5-7). These are not ornaments for the already-perfect; they are the means by which we make our “calling and election sure” (1:10). Peter reminds us that he was an eyewitness of Christ’s majesty on the holy mount, and that the prophetic word is “a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn” (1:19). Here in late March, as winter lingers and Lent draws toward its close, we are people waiting for dawn. The days are lengthening; the light is returning. Peter’s words meet us exactly there—humble, watchful, adding to our faith, holding fast to the promise until the morning breaks.
What does this ask of us today? It asks us to lay down our anxious self-reliance and cast our care on the One who cares. It asks us to stay awake—not frantic, but sober and steady—resisting the enemy by faith. And it asks us to grow: to add to our faith the very character of Christ, so that we are not barren or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord. This is ordinary, daily work: a kind word, a disciplined habit, a quiet trust. But it is work done in the light of an unshakable promise.
Reflection
- What “care” are you still clutching tightly instead of casting upon the God who cares for you—and what would it look like to actually let it go today?
- Where in your life have you grown drowsy and unvigilant, and what one grace from Peter’s list (virtue, knowledge, temperance, patience, godliness, kindness, charity) does God most want you to add this week?
Prayer
Father, we come as those who have too often carried what You offered to bear for us. Teach us to humble ourselves under Your mighty hand and to cast every care upon You, trusting that You care. Keep us sober and vigilant, resisting the adversary by faith, and remind us that our brethren around the world share the same afflictions. Add to our faith virtue, knowledge, patience, godliness, and love, that we may be neither barren nor unfruitful. Hold us fast until the day dawns and the day star arises in our hearts, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.