Meditation Thought: (Taken from the Introduction to book of 1 Peter in the Study Bible): “Christ has redeemed them. (Christians) (1:18,19) Christ upholds and guides them (1:8,21,25) and Christ will reward them (5:4). They can therefore go forward joyfully along their pilgrim way (2:11, 4:3,14), confident that in the end they will gain a full salvation and enter into the joy of their Lord.”
“You are redeemed – cleansed of guilt: Relax. You are pure, sparkling, refreshing – to yourself and to others through Christ’s purifying process in you.
You are upheld and guided – Do not fear. Your own strength – or lack of strength – does not count for anything. Christ within you is your strength – how much more strength could you need? You need not be confused: Guidance is given to you – whether you realize this in your feelings or not. Trust this in faith.
You will not receive punishment, but reward as the basic tone of your life. Why would so many cling to the Way if it was always miserable, causing only distress? Your perception of what is joyful to you may change as you grow spiritually, but you will have joy in rewards – whatever form these take – as a Christian. That is Christ’s Message: I am not a God/Father of punishment but of love and enlightenment. I desire to teach you what is True and how to deal with Truth in a way that will bring joy and fulfillment to us both. This is why Jesus came – the perception of my people was inaccurate. I needed a corrective influence to bring understanding, for I long for my beloved children to be happy. There are certain requirements to bring happiness into a reality, and these requirements are both revealed and fulfilled by Christ when my children seek to know the way.
I know the confusion, fear and inadequacy of a child who is unenlightened, untrained, and dependent upon only the self. For this reason Christ has come in human form to be the Teacher, the Discipliner, the Strength – whenever the child yields to Him rather than clinging to old ways.
Through Christ one’s spirit is developed into more recognizable resemblance of My Spirit – how could this be anything but a reward which brings joy?”
Meditations of Marie's Heart 