“His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and goodness.” 2 Peter 1:3Â
For many people, the change in calendar year often triggers this notion to pause and ponder; to reflect on the year behind and to look forward to what the year ahead may bring. It’s a wonderful practice and an opportunity to really take a step back and see what happened over the past 365 days, because as we all know, sometimes we aren’t so diligent with zooming that far out while we’re in the midst of the year.
Having a rather busy start to the new year, I hadn’t really gotten the opportunity that I was desiring to sit down and to really reflect on the year behind. I was waiting for a day to be still with my journal and pen, and to really write out some of the details of 2023. But as I waited for a good gap in my schedule, the Lord began to put a new question on my heart. Through a progression of my morning quiet times with Him, He gave me a new lens through which He would have me to reflect on this year, and then, in His perfect timing, He provided the opportunity to do so.
The first scripture the Lord placed before me, three times in two days, was 2 Peter 1:3. It reads,
“His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and goodness.”
Everything.
I have read this verse numerous times, but this single word struck me this time.
Everything.
Not some things, sometimes, but everything.
God gives us everything that we need for a godly life. Nothing is missing.
After reading this verse, I looked up to see the 1,000-piece puzzle that I have been working on and I thought about a puzzle that I had put together with my family last year. We got every piece that we had put into place, but despite our search on the table top, the floor, and our laps, there was one missing piece of the puzzle when we had finished. (Turns out that our dog decided she needed a cardboard treat in her meal plan that day.)
As I was reminded of this puzzle, I thought about how not even ONE piece is lacking from God.
He gives us everything that we need to live for Him day by day and in all of life. At the beginning of every single day, we have every piece that we need to live a godly life that day.
As to our “all of life” puzzle, yes, on this side of heaven we will be working with God to put the pieces of the puzzle of our lives together over time through the process of sanctification, but the pieces are all there. We don’t have to wonder about that like I’m suddenly beginning to wonder about the pile of pieces on my table.
We can trust that not one thing is missing nor needs to be found for us to live a life of godliness; the life that God would have us to live for our good and for His glory.
The day after spending time with this passage in 2 Peter, my devotional out of New Morning Mercies by Paul David Tripp was about faith as a gift from God.
Ephesians 2:8 states, “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God…”
The devotional goes on to explain that “faith simply isn’t natural to us” and that “God gives us the power to first believe”, and then He “molds us by grace to have God-centered faith.”
God gives us everything that we need to live godly lives… EVEN FAITH.
The Lord then led me to Luke 19:11 through 27 – The parable of the ten minas.
In this parable, the master called his servants and gave them 10 pounds to “put to work” while he was away. Upon his return, he found that the faithfulness of the servants with what they had been given varied. Some invested well and wisely, while others were faithless with what they had been given.
This parable is different than the parable of the talents in Matthew 25, because in this parable, rather than being given different amounts, the ten servants were all given the same amount.
Per my commentaries, this is to accentuate the faithfulness of the servants in the parable of the minas. They were all given the same amount, and it was the faithfulness of the servant that impacted the result and the reward. Faithfulness was the variable.
This parable made me wonder… Am I being faithful with the “everything” that God is giving me?
In addition to the 3 passages above and the thoughts they stirred, God incorporated a variety of other scriptures and psalms to fortify this message that He was putting on my heart, and eventually it came out in question form for my time of reflection.
How have you seen My (God’s) provision in the last year, to continue to bolster your faith and to build you spiritually?
This year, God was asking me to look beyond the experiences, events, friendships, and memorable moments. He was even asking me to look beyond the lessons that He had taught me and the ways that I had seen Him work. Rather, He was asking me to look at the things that He had put in place to guide me and to guard me spiritually.
And beyond looking at just one year, He asked me to reach way back and to reflect on how He had done that throughout my life.
And then He focused in, and asked me to look at today, and to ask “What has God put in place to guide me spiritually today and in the days ahead?”
Brothers and sisters, I want to encourage you to sit with some of these questions, and if you get the chance, some of these scriptures too. Allow time to look at the ways that God has provided for your spiritual life to grow, to be nurtured, and to continue developing in the days and months ahead.
In a small group on Wednesday night, my girlfriends and I all chose a verse that reminded us personally of God’s faithfulness in our lives. A verse that God put on our hearts as a marker of His love for us and His presence with us. A verse that we could cling to when times get tough and we need that gentle reminder of the Lord our God.
I want to invite you to do the same.
And lastly, once you have taken time to make note of God’s spiritual provisions throughout your life, in the year behind, and today, I want to invite you to sit with the same question that the parable of the minas left on my heart.
Am I being faithful with the “everything” that God is giving me?
God has given us everything that we need to live a godly life… are we doing it? Or are we leaving the puzzle pieces piled on the counter?
I will leave you with this to dwell upon – the last sentence from my devotional this morning as God has continued to speak.
“His grace calls you to invest in the one thing that will never come up short, and that one thing is the faithfulness of your Lord.”
May we be faithful stewards of the provisions of a faithful God.
With so much love,
Your Sister in Christ
Praise God.