Have you ever felt like you just don’t fit in? Like you’re walking through life in a world that doesn’t quite feel like home? That’s not by accident. Peter calls us exiles—people who are chosen by God but not truly at home here on earth.
That’s why we feel out of place. But here’s the powerful truth: Even though the world doesn’t define you, God does. You are chosen, loved, and set apart for His purpose.
Finding Hope in the Middle of Suffering
Peter’s original audience wasn’t just “spiritually uncomfortable”—they were losing homes, jobs, and even relationships because of their faith in Jesus. They weren’t just left out—they were pushed out.
But Peter didn’t tell them to toughen up. He pointed them to something greater—something eternal: a living hope.
🎁 The Christmas Gift
This past Christmas, my wife Leah and I gave our daughters a Fitbit. They had been asking for one—“We need to count our steps, Daddy!”—and we had the perfect plan. We wrapped a shiny box and slid it under the tree. They shook it, studied it, guessed at it. But it felt too light… too quiet.
When Christmas morning came, they tore it open—only to find a piece of paper: the first clue in a scavenger hunt! Clue after clue led them through the house until they finally found their long-awaited gift. Joy exploded!
That’s what Peter is doing in this passage. He’s building anticipation. He knows how amazing the gift is. And even though his readers are suffering, he’s pointing them toward something worth waiting for: an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading—kept in heaven for you (1 Peter 1:4).
1. Our Living Hope (1 Peter 1:3)
“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ!”
Peter begins with praise, even in the middle of pain. Why? Because worship changes our perspective. It doesn’t erase problems, but it shifts our focus from our trials to God’s promises.
Praise Before the Breakthrough
Ever praise God before your situation gets better? It’s not crazy—it’s powerful. Think of King Jehoshaphat in 2 Chronicles 20. Surrounded by enemies, unsure what to do—he led the people in prayer and worship. God told them, “The battle is not yours, but mine.”
Like Jehoshaphat, you can choose to start your day with praise. Before your breakthrough comes, say: “God’s got this.”
2. Mercy and New Beginnings
Peter says we are born again to this living hope because of God’s great mercy.
What is Mercy?
Mercy means getting compassion you didn’t earn. When you mess up and someone still has your back—that’s mercy. And God’s mercy? It’s massive. It’s not based on your performance. It meets you right where you are.
Even when life is messy, God’s mercy doesn’t give up on you.
3. “He Has Caused Us to Be Born Again”
This isn’t just a nice religious phrase. “Born again” (Greek: anagennaō) is about a spiritual rebirth—a brand-new identity rooted in Christ, not in your past, your background, or your mistakes.
“If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation.” – 2 Corinthians 5:17
In Jesus, you are not your past. You are made new. And that changes everything.
4. A Living Hope
Most people treat hope like wishful thinking—”I hope I pass the test” or “I hope life gets easier.” But biblical hope is confident expectation.
Why? Because it’s based on something real: the resurrection of Jesus.
When Peter says we’ve been born again to a “living hope,” he means this hope is alive, active, unshakable—and it changes how we see everything.
Example: Santa vs. Jesus
Around Christmas, we hear this song played endlessly: Santa is coming to town.
“He’s making a list and checking it twice…”
That’s how Santa works—good behavior earns rewards. But our hope in Christ isn’t earned. It’s a gift of mercy, not merit.
💡 To Reflect
Start your day with praise—even if the breakthrough hasn’t come.
Remember: Your identity is not in your failures, but in your rebirth.
Fix your eyes on the living hope that cannot fade.
📢 Coming in Part 2: What makes our heavenly inheritance unshakable, and how your hope is guarded by God’s own power.
Read part 1 here: Living Hope in a Broken World: How to Stand Firm When You Feel Like an Outsider
Samuel Bernard (aka Sammy) is originally from Haiti, where
he grew up practicing voodoo with his mother and was
rejected by his father before birth. He survived the
devastating 2010 earthquake in Haiti that claimed over
300,000 lives. Sammy is a graduate of Millar College of the
Bible with a Bachelor’s degree in Biblical Studies and holds a
Master of Divinity (M.Div) from the Canadian Southern
Baptist Seminary. He is the author of Warrior in Training for
men Bible study. He is married to Leah, and together they
have three beautiful children.
