2 Peter 1:3 “As His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue,”
When I consider the majesty and magnitude of God’s glory, the promises in His Word, and the hope that Jesus provided to all who trust in Him, I consider the potential we have at our fingertips.
When reading scripture, it is good to dwell upon the nature of God as it conveys a deeper measure of truth. True life and godliness are drawn from the well of God’s infinite grace, the question is how do we tap into the resource He has provided?
Peter revealed through the anointing of the Holy Spirit the path to provision offered to all who seek.
2 Peter 1:4 “by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.”
The connection to God’s great and precious promises is revealed through the means God has given us to acquire them.
“The promises to those who are partakers of a Divine nature, will cause us to inquire whether we are really renewed in the spirit of our minds; let us turn all these promises into prayers for the transforming and purifying grace of the Holy Spirit.”
Matthew Henry
The Path to Provision
*Knowledge: To draw from God’s power requires the knowledge of where to look and knowledge comes only by way of the Holy Spirit. If God’s people quench the Spirit of God by sinning, they walk in reproach before Him and not in the fullness of His Spirit.
James 1:5 "If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him."
It is through the knowledge of God by which the christian learns to walk in His divine power, remembering why He imparted this in the first place shows purpose in God’s plan.
God doesn’t supply His people for just any reason, He always has a purpose in mind. It is through His supply they are given the ability to fulfill His call upon their lives. It is through His church that His purposes bring Him glory and reveal His virtue to the world.
God’s Glory Revealed
The acquiring of knowledge first requires understanding.
Proverbs 15:14 “The heart of him who has understanding seeks knowledge, but the mouths of fools feed on folly.”
A lack of good sense is found among the ignorant. They cannot know truth unless they inquire at the source, and that is found only in God’s Word. The foolish don’t know where to look.
Proverbs 24:15 “A wise man is full of strength, and a man of knowledge enhances his might,”
When a believer understands the necessity of growing in knowledge and walking in truth, attributes of wisdom begin to form.
God’s Strength and Might
A mighty man of valor knows where his strength lies. I’m not talking about physical strength, Goliath was powerful and yet was brought down by a sling and a stone. It was God’s might that rested upon a young David who trusted more in God’s provision than he did His own life.
Philippians 4:13 “I can do all things through him who strengthens me.”
Now that we know the means by which God supplies, the question as to why it is necessary for God to give this provision comes into view.
God’s divine nature is not a distant philosophical entity for us to discuss only to gain knowledge of God’s personhood. Believers have been invited to partake of His nature, which implies that it exists here and now for people to walk in. If a man or woman of God has been lifted up in Christ, they will come to know that all worldly reason is replaced by godly understanding.
Godly supplies those who walk in His way.
If a person is just going their own way, they don’t need some spiritual provision for the journey, worldly wisdom will do. But if a person earnestly desires to follow the Lord, they will need to be supplied with the equipping God provides.
We know God has reasons for what He does, we often see His response in various situations and we can know His heart when people are in turmoil by studying the Word. When believers witness God’s ability to navigate seemingly difficult circumstances, especially when people feel lost, they gain understanding of God’s and can in turn follow in His footsteps. Believers have no need to fear whether God will remain faithful—He always remains faithful.
True Peace
This corrupt world will try to upset people’s balance and lead them off His path and away from the confidence of God’s mercy, this makes it even more imperative to keep your eyes on Him. As the Lord directs, all worldly reason is brought low before the manifold purpose that He commands.
Philippians 3:8 “More than that, I count all things as loss compared to the surpassing excellence of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ.”
Walking in victory in God’s Kingdom is a process of letting go of the things of this world and embracing what God has provided. It’s one thing to acquire worldly things but you can’t hold onto them as your own……they are His. The more we recognize the value we have in knowing Christ as Lord and Savior, the more this world diminishes in value.
Godly riches look different that worldly riches.
2 Peter 1:5-8 “But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love. For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
When a person makes a decision for Christ, their change of perspective leads them in a different direction than where they once were going. The new believer realizes the worth of seeking after all that is aligned with God’s nature. What we hold dear to our hearts should be what God values—it is these things that are worth seeking.
The more you gain of God’s abundance, the happier you will be. The more you attempt to gain the world, the more you’ll find them less satisfying.
We must change our values if we want to grow in our faith. It is a change of mind that takes submitting to God’s Spirit in our lives.
U.T. 