A Royal Priesthood

But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

Dear friends, I urge you, as foreigners and exiles, to abstain from sinful desires, which wage war against your soul. Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.

Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human authority: whether to the emperor, as the supreme authority, or to governors, who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to commend those who do right. For it is God’s will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish people. Live as free people, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as God’s slaves. Show proper respect to everyone, love the family of believers, fear God, honor the emperor.

1 Peter 2:9-17

We judge the “goodness” or “badness” of things by how they affect us. Wind is good if we are starting a warm fire. It is bad if it is burning our homes down. Water is good, coming out of a faucet. Water is bad, if it comes flooding down our streets.

God decides what we need and gives it to us. He decides what is good and bad. We are to follow the words of the Bible, and the teachings inside.

When things look bad, remember God is good.

Our Daily Bread – December 28, 2012