We begin our study of the Second Letter of Peter, written more as a testimony of a faithful believer. We sometimes do interesting things to get tickets. I took the photo above of some tickets from my life. The top tickets were to a Rolling Stones concert in Houston in 1972 and they cost all of six dollars ($6.00). But it took my dear friend, George S., to spend the night waiting in line to get these tickets. My part of the bargain was that I would drive us to the concert venue. Also slated to appear that night was Stevie Wonder! Imagine getting offered $100 for each ticket, which we were, but we declined. "We" had been through a lot to get these tickets and to see the concert was the purpose of our even having tickets.
You and I have very special tickets, according to this passage by Peter. Tickets to participate in the greatest life that is possible for any human. A life lived in the presence of God through Jesus Christ. An "invitation" to the fullness of life because of what Jesus did for us. Peter knew that grace and peace were ours and that these would deepen daily as we walked and talked with our Lord. He writes, "Everything that goes into a life of pleasing God has been miraculously given to us by getting to know, personally and intimately, the One who invited us to God." This is the best invitation. And this invitation came with tickets. To have tickets means you have full admittance into that event. These cannot be sold to anyone else; who would want to? Our saying Yes to Jesus means we have said No to the things that separate us from Him. Back in the days of my childhood, the only air conditioned place I knew was the movie theater in downtown Kingsville. To have a ticket to the movies also meant entrance into a world free from the South Texas heat. No one would buy a ticket to stand outside and wonder about what movie was showing and what it was about. Yet, many of us live that way when it comes to knowing and experiencing the fullness of God through Jesus Christ.
You have the ticket. Why wait outside?
PRAYER: Loving God, thank You for the invitation to come in to You and this wonderful life of faith. Help me and those who make this their prayer, not to stand outside and miss out on the fullness of life that is ours by entering into a relationship with You. Thank You. I pray this prayer of gratitude and invitation, in the name of Jesus, my Lord, amen.
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!
Eradio Valverde
