Welcome to another daily encouragement from the Our Daily Bread Devotional.

I'm Kirsten Holmberg, and I titled our reading, Self-Control in God's Strength.

A 1972 study, known as the marshmallow test, was developed to gauge children's ability to delay

gratification of their desires. The kids were offered a single marshmallow to enjoy, but were told

if they could refrain from eating it for 10 minutes, they'd be given a second one.

About a third of the children were able to hold out for the larger reward. Another third

gobbled it up within 30 seconds. We might struggle to show self-control when offered something

we desire, even if we know it would benefit us more

in the future to wait? Yet in 2nd Peter chapter 1, Peter urged us to add to our faith

many important virtues, including self-control. Having laid hold of faith in Jesus, Peter encouraged his readers and us to continue to grow in goodness, knowledge, perseverance, self-control, godliness, affection, and love in increasing measure as evidence of that faith.

While these virtues don't earn us God's favor, nor secure our place in heaven,

they demonstrate, to ourselves as well as to all those with whom we interact, our need to exercise

self-control as God provides the wisdom and strength to do so. And best of all, he's given us everything we need to live a godly life, one that

pleases him through the power of the Holy Spirit.

Today's Our Daily Bread Devotional Scripture reading is from 2 Peter chapter 1 verses 3 through 10.

His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him

who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious

promises so that through them you may

participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil

desires.

For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness, and to goodness

knowledge, and to knowledge self-control, and to self-control,

...