“[F]orsaking the right way, they have gone astray, having followed the way of Balaam, the son of Beor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness” (2 Peter 2:15)

Scripture is not talking about those whom we would call purely wicked (are not all sinners?), but about those who follow their own lusts.  We think in terms of people doing what is acceptable in society, but a generation ago, many of the things we now call acceptable would have been considered outrageous.  Let us seek the will of our Father in heaven and live in the truth of the Gospel.

Lord, You know how slippery the slope is that spirals downward.  You have seen it over and over throughout the ages.  Lead me, O Lord, in the way of life You have established from the beginning.  Help me to not take any of the false steps that spiral downward.  Guide me in Your goodness to live according to the principles of love and service You have established.  Lead me to live life as it is meant to be lived.

Help me, dear Savior, to look to You in all circumstances.  Guide me in Your goodness to know that in You is hope.  You have come so that I may have life and have it abundantly.  Lead me in that life to see that in You alone can I overcome what this world throws at me.  In You I can be conformed to the perfect image.  In You I have salvation.  In You I have hope.  Help me look to You always.  Amen.

“[H]aving eyes full of adultery that never cease from sin, enticing unstable souls, having a heart trained in greed, accursed children” (2 Peter 2:14)

There are those who may have decent manners in public but are a bundle of corrupt wickedness in private, seeking whom they may entice into doing evil.  Pride and arrogance do this to the soul.  Jesus came to rescue those who would be rescued, but there are those who will never be rescued.  We may not know who are whom, but do not let this lower your guard for the evil are always on the prowl.  The devil seeks whom he may devour.

Lord, without being either paranoid or uncompassionate, help me to be aware that there are those who will not seek You.  Let me know them by the fruit they bear in order that I may be aware of what others are.  Guide me in Your goodness to seek You with all of my heart and not be led astray through the deceit of the wicked one.  Guide me, Lord, in Your way of living that I may live according to Your purposes.

Lord Jesus, You paid the price so that all who believe might be redeemed to live a new life of love and service.  Guide me in that life so that I am aware of those who, by all appearances, will not live according to Your goodness and mercy.  Lead me, O Lord, in the way You know I need to go and help me to not be hindered by the wiles of the wicked one.  Grant that I would be stable and firm in my faith.  Amen.

“…[S]uffering wrong as the wages of doing wrong. They count it a pleasure to revel in the daytime. They are stains and blemishes, reveling in their deceptions, as they carouse with you” (2 Peter 2:13)

It is not politically correct, nor something people want to hear, but there are those who are wicked and love doing wickedness.  Yes, they are even in the church.  They are everywhere.  Do not think otherwise, because this is what Scripture is telling you and you already know it.  To compromise with the wicked is to compromise with the wicked one who rules them.  Seek purity, rather than “stains and blemishes”, always.

Lord, I find that I do love these people even though they do what is wicked in Your sight.  Help me to see that I do not need to be compromised by them to live faithfully.  Without being standoffish, teach me how to be firm in commitment while always being compassionate with others.  Guide me in the faithful way of living so that I see these things and do not live according to the world, but according to Your word.

Lord Jesus, You have called me out of the mess of this world to learn from You how to live faithfully.  Guide me, dear Lord, in the right way of thinking and living.  Help me to be compassionate and humble, yet always committed to the just and right way of doing things.  Let me not be compromised by those who practice wickedness but live by Your guidance and direction.  Amen.

“But these, like unreasoning animals, born as creatures of instinct to be captured and killed, reviling where they have no knowledge, will in the destruction of those creatures also be destroyed…” (2 Peter 2:12)

Unthinking, just reacting, believing themselves to have intelligence, there are so many who are just like rats in a maze, not living, but responding with worldly thinking.  The Lord gives us the ability to think and reason that we may come to know Him and not be reactive but love Him with both heart and mind.  Do not follow the way of the world for it shall reach its own end in destruction.  The way of the Lord is salvation from destruction.

Lord, grant me wisdom to see the foolishness of this age.  Guide me in Your goodness to turn to the better way of living.  Help me through all circumstances to know that in You alone there is hope.  You have given me the promise of a future by Your grace.  Let me not just react to this world’s rebellion against You, but instead develop new insight to do what is right in Your sight at all times.

Lord Jesus, You have come that I may have life and have it abundantly.  Guide me, dear Lord, in the way of everlasting life so that I may now and always humbly walk in Your presence and with Your purpose in my heart.  Let me not be led astray by the wickedness of this world, but instead, live into the hope and promise You give through the salvation You have purchased from the cross.  Amen.

“Daring, self-willed, they do not tremble when they revile angelic majesties, whereas angels who are greater in might and power do not bring a reviling judgment against them before the Lord” (2 Peter 2:10b-11).

There are those who are bold in the wicked deeds of the flesh.  They think they are clever, but they reveal where their heart is through their deeds.  Don’t be enticed and led astray by such as these.    Instead, turn your eyes to the Lord and know that He has given you the words of eternal life.  Do not revile the things of the Lord, but rebuke the deeds of the wicked who lead others astray.

Lord, grant me wisdom and understanding so that I may be led by the truth of Your word.  Help me now and always to see that only in you is there hope.  You are the author of life and You know how it should be lived.  Guide me away from the temptations of the flesh so that I may walk humbly with You, my Savior, saying and doing that which is pleasing in the Father’s sight.

Heavenly Father, You have sent Your Son to enable all who believe to walk in His power and become like Him.  Guide me in the way of Christ in order that I may look to You through Him and avoid the wickedness of this age.  Lead me this day to not worry about tomorrow, for You alone know what is coming.  Help me always to look to You, seeking to do what is pleasing in Your sight.  Keep Your Spirit dwelling richly within me.  Amen.

“[T]hen the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from temptation, and to keep the unrighteous under punishment for the day of judgment, and especially those who indulge the flesh in its corrupt desires and despise authority” (2 Peter 2:9-10a).

We live in an age which seeks to indulge.  Rather than live for what is right, we seek and strive after things that do not matter.  Why live for what is temporary when all you need has already been provided through the goodness of the Lord.  Come into His presence and live into the life which He gives you by grace.  Know that in the Lord there is freedom from the wages of sin because of His grace and mercy.

Lord, we all are weighed down by the dissipation of sin.  You have died so that sin might not be held against me — not that I am free from sin, but freed from what sin does.  Help me to live into the life to which You call me knowing that only in You is there hope and a future.  Let me no longer strive after the things of the flesh but seek earnestly that Your will be done in my life.  Help me respect Your authority in willing obedience.

Lord Jesus, all authority and power belong to You.  The striving for power in this age is an illusion.  Help me to understand this and live according to Your goodness and mercy.  Lead me today and, where I am tempted by things of the flesh which would hinder my walk, guide me to avoid them.  Where I am free to do good things, grant me wisdom to do them.  In all things, give me confidence to stand firm in You through the faith You have given me.  Amen.

“[A]nd if He rescued righteous Lot, oppressed by the sensual conduct of unprincipled men (for by what he saw and heard that righteous man, while living among them, felt his righteous soul tormented day after day by their lawless deeds)” (2 Peter 2:7)

Do you ever look out at the world puzzled and wonder what has gone wrong?  The more you live in the faith the Lord has given you, the more you realize there is something really wrong with this world.  It is sin.  Sin has come into the world and the order of the Lord has been destroyed.  The Lord has come to give you everlasting life.  Come then, be dismayed at the world, but overjoyed with what the Lord has done for His chosen ones.

Lord, help me to see clearly the difference in these two things.  Guide me according to Your goodness to know that in You alone am I able to see all that is true and right.  This world is messed up and I have the world’s ideas in me.  Guide me according to Your goodness to know that in You alone is all hope.  Let me be a righteous person living amidst all of those in this world who do or do not know You, and live with them in peace.

Lord Jesus, God in the flesh, You have walked in this crazy world and know how difficult it is.  There is a shadow of goodness in all of creation.  There is also the pollution of sin.  Guide me, dear Lord, to live in that way which is pleasing to the Father.  Help me to see the differences clearly and choose the better path.  In all that happens, help me Lord to live as You direct.  Amen. 

[A]nd if He condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah to destruction by reducing them to ashes, having made them an example to those who would live ungodly lives thereafter” (2 Peter 2:6)

The dead are dead already.  Those who are in the Lord are alive even if they are asleep.  Those who stay in sin are dead to themselves and to the Lord.  Being animated is not true life.  Living as the Lord created you to live is real life.  Come into the life which is yours in Christ and do not live as the ungodly do.  The Lord rightly destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah.  Can He not do what He will with what belongs to Him?

Lord, I live in an age that is so cavalier about these things.  Everyone gets all upset if I do not celebrate whatever they deem right and good.  But You have spoken, and Your Word does not change.  Lead me in the way of everlasting life so that I would realize that I should take all these good and bad things seriously.  Guide me according to Your goodness to know that in You is all hope and an eternal future.

Lord of Life, Savior Jesus, You have come to lead the way for all who walk in the newness of life You give.  Guide me, dear Lord, according to Your purposes and guide me to walk in the way You are leading me, leaving behind the ways of this dead world.  You have come to give life.  Lead me in living that life so that I may grow each day to be more like You.  Let me become an example to others of godly living.  Amen.

“[A]nd did not spare the ancient world, but preserved Noah, a preacher of righteousness, with seven others, when He brought a flood upon the world of the ungodly” (2 Peter 2:5)

Lord, I sometimes wonder when I see all the wickedness in the world why You continue to let it run its course.  Help me to see that there is also much beauty around me and that Your salvation reaches whom it reaches.  Guide me in the way of true life so that I simply look to You for all things.  Guide me in Your goodness to the way of living which is true and eternal.

Lord, You know where I fall short.  You know where I have seen and done things that are not true to You or to what You have said in Scripture.  Correct me, Lord, so that I may repent and come into harmony with You.  In the end, You will blot out the wickedness of this world.  It must be so if heaven is to remain perfect.  Help me to see and act upon these things so that goodness prevails in me and is reflected to others.

Lord Jesus, You are the way of everlasting life.  You have established what is right and true.  You are the ark upon which we can safely float to flee the flood of wickedness in this age.  In You is the hope for every generation.  Lord, help me to stay in the safety of Your provision and not try to do these things on my own.  Guide me now and forever, and help me to willingly live in Your provision.  Amen.

“For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but cast them into hell and committed them to pits of darkness, reserved for judgment” (2 Peter 2:4)

How is it that some think that what they say or do makes no difference?  Something may be said or done and  the moment something contrary happens, they will go back on what they said or did.  The truth speaks, but will we listen?  One third of the angels were cast into hell.  Those who rebel against the Lord and continue on that path are bound for hell.  We live in a world that rejects the truth.  Christ is truth.  Yes, there is a hell and God has provided a means of rescue from hell for those who are willing to follow truth who is Christ our Savior. 

Lord, help me see that You rescue those who are hell-bound.  All have sinned and fallen short of Your glory.  The wages of sin is death.  Lead me, O Lord, in the way of life so that I would live according to Your promises and for Your purpose.  Do not let me make light of that which is eternal.  Guide me according to Your will to do what is right and fitting in all things and at all times.

Thank You, Lord Jesus, for paying the price so that the inevitable destination for the rebellious ones would not be mine.  You have done what was needed so that I could be forever with You.  Lead me, Lord, in the way You have established.  Guide me according to Your goodness to see what is right and true.  Help me to hear what I need to hear and to be willing to live according to Your Word.  Amen.