Good morning everyone,

2 Peter 1:18-20-we ourselves heard this very voice borne from heaven, for we were with him on the holy mountain. 19 And we have something more sure, the prophetic word, to which you will do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts,

The apostle Peter had the great privilege of actually seeing the glory of Jesus as the Son of God on the Mount of Transfiguration and hearing the voice of the Father’s approval of Him (Matthew 17 v5). So you might conclude that Peter had a greater advantage than all of us who didn’t have actual experiences with Jesus while He was on earth, right?

Well Peter while addressing some persecuted believers and assuring them where their confidence should rest in, sets aside his experience with Jesus to point them to what is powerful and everlasting, the Word of God. Although Peter acknowledges his experience what makes Peter’s testimony powerful is that he can call people to God’s Word instead of trying to live off an afterthought of experiences. Assuring us that there is no advantage to experiences we have God’s Word!

In our day and age experiences are sought even in church because it is immediate and gratifies our physical senses. But to actually study God’s Word takes work and faith, which seems boring in comparison to such an experience of visual effects and overwhelming emotion. Yet Peter says that the more sure thing to trust is the Word of God, because you cannot live a normal Christian life chasing experiences. Take any example in life where the experience was great and life changing, and you probably didn’t control how the experience came about(?) The Word is there everyday for us to experience Jesus by the Holy Spirit for sure, and not rely on an experience that may not come.

In His Love, Ld