Being Strong in a Strange Land. 1 peter 1:1-2. Peter addresses his letter to “the strangers scattered”. He is writing to Jewish believers who have been forced to leave their homeland and have found themselves dispersed into other parts of the world. These people, because of their beliefs and faith, are being subjected to persecutions and sufferings that you and I cannot even begin to imagine. Peter is writing to them, against this backdrop of pain and suffering, to encourage them in the faith. He is reminding them that in the midst of their trials, there are some reliable reasons for real rejoicing! One cause for rejoicing lies in the word “strangers”. This word refers to one “who travels through a strange land.” You see, Peter is reminding these folks that they are not home yet! They are merely strangers passing through a foreign land. One day the journey will end and they will be home! While we are not being persecuted today, there are still battles to fight, valleys to cross, dark nights to endure and pain to suffer. In the midst of it all, it is easy to lose perspective. It is easy to forget who we are in Jesus and where we are going because of Jesus. This passage serves as a reminder of Who’s we are and where we are going.