50 Days of Prayer for Fellowship CRC

2 Pet. 2:9 – “The Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials.” 

Thank God that He knows how to rescue us from trials and tests! Thank God that His rescue is not based on my godliness or worthiness, but upon His grace given to us in Jesus!

This lovely little phrase, just 10 words from a single sentence which runs all the way from v4 through v10, summarizes the Apostle Peter's line of reasoning based on several "if" statements.  It provides extreme examples of what we discussed here yesterday from 1 Corinthians 10:13, how God provides a way out of testing when we need it. Peter says, if God brought temporal judgement in days past, and if he saved "righteous" people like Noah and Lot in that judgement, then we can be sure that God still reserves judgement for Himself, even while He saves His people. Based on this reasoning, Peter can assure his audience (then and now) that God can and will see us through our day-to-day trials, too.

Two things to keep in mind in any trial or test. We can make it through, but not because we are strong enough, godly enough or righteous enough; we are not. We can make it through because of Jesus, our righteousness and strength.  So, thanks to Jesus, we face God's judgement with confidence. Second, we find God's rescue in trials through prayer. That prayer may look like several days of fasting and focussed prayer, or it may be a "Help me Lord!" in the midst of a storm. God will hear the sincere prayer of his children, and will rescue you from your trial.

So we pray:
Lord, we praise you because you know how to rescue us from trials.  We claim no godliness other than what we are given in Jesus. Based on Jesus' righteousness, we thank you that you will rescue us from present trials and final judgement.  We trust that you will use the trials of this life to grow, shape and develop us, and that you will not let those trials overwhelm us.  Thank you Jesus for going before us through trials. Amen.