An Imperishable Hope - Your Nightly Prayer

An Imperishable Hope
Your Nightly Prayer for Dec. 26, 2024
by Mike Leake

TONIGHT’S SCRIPTURE

"…to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading." - 1 Peter 1:4a

SOMETHING TO PONDER 

I have a challenge for you. Go buy the most expensive steak you can find. Then, purchase one of those faux steaks out of a TV dinner and thaw it. Now, set both of them on your kitchen counter for a week or two. You know what will happen, don’t you? Both are going to start to smell as they spoil. (Sorry, you’re trying to get to sleep, aren’t you?) This is just a reminder that we live in a world that is perishing. No matter how much we try to numb the thought, everything around us is perishing—including our own bodies. Everything that is under the sun can be described by these words: perishing, defiled, and fading. Set all your hope upon this world as your inheritance, and you’ll only inherit the wind. 

This is set in sharp contrast to the “inheritance” which God gives to those who trust Him. Notice the words Peter uses: imperishable, undefiled, and unfading. These words can describe God Himself. New cars lose their luster, and new houses lose their beauty, but not this inheritance. It never loses luster, never fades, never diminishes in beauty, and never spoils. This is where God is taking you and me. This is the hope that we have in Christ. It puts everything in perspective. We can suffer well because we know it is temporary. We are empowered to say no to the siren song of this fading world because we know we were made for something far better. 

YOUR NIGHTLY PRAYER 

Father,
We know that you are the One who is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading. And you give us your life. Thank you! I should have inherited nothing but the rancid fruit of my sin. Yet, you’ve given me this great inheritance. You are restoring all things in spite of my foolishness. Thank you. Help me to live for that which is unfading.
In Jesus name,
Amen. 

THREE THINGS TO MEDITATE UPON 

1. All that is fading

2. All that will never fade away

3. What it would look like to set all your hope upon that which is unfading

Photo Credit: ©Getty Images/AntonioGuillem

Mike Leake is husband to Nikki and father to Isaiah and Hannah. He is also the lead pastor at Calvary of Neosho, MO. Mike is the author of Torn to Heal and Jesus Is All You Need. His writing home is http://mikeleake.net and you can connect with him on Twitter @mikeleake. Mike has a new writing project at Proverbs4Today.

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