Eight Days To Christmas, A Reading From First Peter

My wife Martha's made it her goal this year to finish reading through the Bible, cover to cover. Well, one of her goals … anyway, this weekend along with the semiannual family breakfast held by Breakfast with the Boys and Sunday church cantata with Martha singing and playing handbells (after getting over a bad cold) as well as Sarah and Jeffrey singing in the Sunday school Christmas program, I was less than nice. Heck, I was less than human and I couldn't hit the chord of my dissatisfaction until Sunday night when several events at home and outside of it got me to sobbing over the death of my mom on the second. I know and I'm told it is okay to cry but I can be rude and nasty if I try to keep it in, no matter how calm I think I'm being. And that's when Martha came to this reading that I'm going to share today, the fifth chapter of 1 Peter in the New Testament. She read from the second sentence of verse five to the end of verse nine, but it fit then and now.

Love, David

The elders which are among you I exhort, who am also an elder, and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed:

Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind;

Neither as being lords over God's heritage, but being examples to the flock.

And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away.

Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble.

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.

Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:

Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.

But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you.

To him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.

By Silvanus, a faithful brother unto you, as I suppose, I have written briefly, exhorting, and testifying that this is the true grace of God wherein ye stand.

The church that is at Babylon, elected together with you, saluteth you; and so doth Marcus my son.

Greet ye one another with a kiss of charity. Peace be with you all that are in Christ Jesus. Amen