The Eyes, Ears and Face of the Lord

The Apostle Peter's epistles were written as a source of encouragement to the first century church which was experiencing great persecution under Emperor Nero. Peter knew first-hand the sufferings of Christ and also recalled that his friend and Savior revealed that he too would suffer in spreading the Gospel.

During our own seasons of struggle in our faith, we would be wise to remember 1 Peter 3:12-- For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears are open to their prayer. But the face of the Lord is against those that do evil. This verse assures us that God is aware of everything we are facing and that he sees how we handle adversity. That his ears are open to our prayers fulfills the promise Jesus made that whatever we pray in His name, God will answer (John 14:13-14, 15:16, 16:23-26). We need to fight our battles on our knees and not in our own strength. God doesn't promise that we won't endure suffering, but he does promise to give us the grace we need to sustain us in times of need (1 Peter 5:10).

Seeing evil appear to triumph is often a huge source of discouragement, but Peter address that as well. He urges us to avoid speaking lies and spreading evil and instead pursue peace. (1 Peter 3:10-11). That the face of God is against those that do evil allows us to rest in the truth that his goodness and holiness surpass the powers of darkness. Christ's sacrificial death on the cross and resurrection from the dead assures us the ultimate victory over evil (v.18-22).