Glad you decided to join me for week 4 of our Online Study, Putting on a Gentle & Quiet Spirit by Elizabeth George. Are you finding this difficult? Are you experiencing some spiritual warfare as you learn to put on a gentle and quiet spirit? I know I am. This is hard stuff, but if we persevere in the Word and in prayer and look to Jesus in faith, we will win this battle. I love this verse in …
You will not need to fight in this battle. Stand firm, hold your position, and see the salvation of the LORD on your behalf, O Judah and Jerusalem.’ Do not be afraid and do not be dismayed. Tomorrow go out against them, and the LORD will be with you. – 2 Chronicles 20:17
I want to remind you of a resource on this blog that may be encouraging to you. It’s from our WOW Weekly Moment series based on 1 Peter, Precious in His sight. Click on the links below to access the devotions.
- Precious In His Sight – Genuine Faith (1 Peter 1:1-12)
- Precious In His Sight – God’s Word (1 Peter 1:13-25)
- Precious Ih His Sight – Living Stones (1 Peter 2:1-12)
We’ll follow our same format this week:
- Pray (Ask God to open your heart and mind so you can understand His Word)
- Read (Re-familiarize yourself with the passage from the previous week)
- Listen (Receive some thoughts and further insights about the lessons studied)
- Respond (Apply spiritual truth to your life)
- Thank God for revealing Truth to you
Pray
Precious Father, thank You for revealing truth to me. I love Your Word, and I long to have greater understanding from it. Please open up my mind so I can understand the Scriptures. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Read
Listen
As I studied through our passage this week, it occurred to me that these verses in chapter two show us four things we have available to us as we learn to, “Put on a Gentle & Quiet Spirit.”
1 Peter 2:1-3 … We have God’s Word.
We are to desire God’s precious Word. Like a newborn baby craves the rich milk from her mother, we are to crave the taste of God’s satisfying Word.
Romans 12:2 says that we are to “… be transformed by the renewing of our mind.” This is key to having a gentle and quiet spirit. There is no way we can make the changes necessary to have this type of godly character apart from His Word.
As we desire God’s Word and soak it in, we learn what we need to discard – malice, guile, envy, evil talk, hypocrisy. Those are some really ugly things. How are you doing when it comes to getting rid of those things?
The more we go to God’s Word, the more we can “grow up” in the Lord and become mature believers who reflect Christ.
1 Peter 2:4-8 … We have the promise of Living Stones.
We must come to Jesus as the Living Stone and allow Him to be the foundation or cornerstone in our spiritual house. We must also come to Jesus and rely on Him as He makes us into spiritual houses.
Each of us has specific gifts. As Living Stones we are to use our gifts to build up the body of Christ and offer our own spiritual sacrifices to God.
What spiritual sacrifices can you make to God?
1 Peter 2:9-10 … We have our Inheritance.
You are a priceless treasure, a daughter of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords! You are a princess! Your inheritance is from God the Father, through His Son, set in eternity, but available in the here and now. Live in it! Act like it! Own it!
Since you have a royal inheritance, when things don’t go your way or when others speak against you or frustrate you, your response comes from a royal heart. A heart of love, mercy, and grace.
Difficult? YES! But God’s grace is sufficient. All we have to do is call on Him for help – every hour, minute, second. He is a God of second chances, third chances, and 54th chances! His grace abounds and His mercies are new every morning. Great is His faithfulness. (Lamentations 3:23)
Just say, “Jesus, I need You. I’m coming to You for help. I need You to set a guard over my mouth (Psalm 141:3) and help me put on that gentle and quiet spirit.
And when we mess it up, we go to Him again in heartfelt repentance and say, “I’m sorry.” I did it again, Lord, please forgive me. And He does. (1 John 1:9)
Remember … we must persevere in the faith. We are in a battle!
Are you laying hold of your god-given inheritance? Do you act like the daughter of the King?
1 Peter 2:11-12 … We have the privilege of Glorifying God.
When we display “honorable conduct” in the midst of wrong-doing or persecution, we glorify God. Isn’t that a wonderful incentive! I don’t know about you, but I long to bring glory to God and His Son, Jesus. I truly desire to honor Him with my life. It is a privilege!! And it spurs me on to try harder, pray harder, and study the Word harder!
In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven. – Matthew 5:16
When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly. – James 2:23
When have you entrusted yourself to the Lord in the midst of suffering and kept silent?
The world calls that weak or passive, but the Bible calls it “Meekness.” (See Matthew 5:5)
Respond: (Please post your comments to these questions below.)
- Has God given you any opportunity these past few weeks to practice Putting On a Gentle & Quiet Spirit? How is it going?
Homework:
Lessons 11-13 (pp.65-79)
Thank God:
Thank You for revealing truth to us, Father. Continue to transform us into the likeness of Your Son, Jesus! Amen.
Jacqueline Heider is the Director of Women’s Ministry, Prayer & Resource Specialist at Warren Baptist Church.