Day 306: Somebodies

1 Peter 2; Jeremiah 33-34; Psalm 135

This chapter in Peter is like a self-esteem booster. First it talks about how we are God's chosen people, a holy nation, royal priests, his people. We were once a nobody, not capable of making a big difference anywhere, trapped by our sins, tripping and falling over our own mistakes. But when Christ came and saved us and we believed, God's Holy Spirit made us somebodies. So what does this mean? It means that we need to live and act like somebodies, chosen people, a holy nation. He says that we should always try to the the right thing, even when it is hard or we suffer for it. We are to follow in Christ's footsteps because that is what it means to be God's people and royal priests. We may suffer for it, but we know that God will bless us for doing what we know is right, and so we hang on to that hope.

In these passages in Jeremiah, God reveals his plan to have a king from the family of David sit on the throne and rule forever--Jesus. He goes on to say that "there will be more descendants of David and of the priests from the Levi tribe than start in the sky or grains of sand on the beach." After reading the passage from 1 Peter, I wonder if WE are those people he is referring to. Sure, over in Israel and throughout the world, there are probably blood descendants of that family, but it makes me think that God means us, followers of his ultimate King.