Daily Devotions
Wednesday, April 22, 2026
For this is a gracious thing, when, mindful of God, one endures sorrows while suffering unjustly. For what credit is it if, when you sin and are beaten for it, you endure? But if when you do good and suffer for it you endure, this is a gracious thing in the sight of God. For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in His steps. He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in His mouth. When He was reviled, He did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but continued entrusting Himself to Him who judges justly. He Himself bore our sins in His body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By His wounds you have been healed. For you were straying like sheep, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls. (1 Peter 2:19-25)
There’s a thing that happens sometimes, when we find ourselves facing suffering that comes, not because we’ve done something to deserve it, but because we haven’t. Either someone is confused and is blaming us for what somebody else did; or someone is truly angry with us for doing good, and we are getting punished where a normal person would reward us. In either case, we end up in a situation that mirrors what happened to Jesus, though in miniature. We do what is good and we end up suffering regardless. And this is what Peter calls “a gracious thing.”
And he means that literally. If we suffer when we do not deserve it, we can react in two ways. We can make a huge stink about the miscarriage of justice; but this often does us no good at all. Who’s going to listen? Or we can take the other option, which is to recognize that we’re going to suffer, even though we don’t deserve it; and decide to go through with it with the help of God, trusting Him to help us endure it, without trying to avenge ourselves or exact any kind of repayment for the wrong people are doing to us. That is what is “gracious” in Peter’s eyes; that is what is like a tiny mirror of Jesus’ own grace to us. For He Himself bore our suffering in His own body on the cross, though He had done nothing wrong. He did it out of free, gracious love for us—knowing that His mercy to us would save us and set us free to become God’s own children.
So what about our own gracious suffering? Will it have a good effect on anybody? It can. At the very least, it is likely to stir up curiosity in those who recognized that we were suffering unjustly. They are likely to ask how we are getting through this experience—and why we don’t hate the people who have done us this wrong. And that gives us the chance to tell them about Jesus.
WE PRAY: Lord, You gave Yourself into death for my sake, and then You rose from the dead to give me life. Thank You for Your grace to me. Amen.
This Daily Devotion was written by Dr. Kari Vo.
Reflection Questions:
- In your opinion, is it always necessary to enforce justice to the very last ounce of suffering? Or can you choose to say, “I forgive what you’ve done to me,” and have it be good enough?
- Why do you think so?
- When have you chosen to accept suffering that wasn’t rightfully yours? Tell the story.
Today's Readings:
Ruth 1-4Luke 17:1-19
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