Read 1 Peter 1:6-9
“In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.” (v6-7)
“In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.” (v6-7)
Some Thoughts…
Rejoicing in trials has never been my thing. The least little inconvenience can cause a faith-crisis and bring me to my knees in tears. So, when I read this passage I feel less than Christian, but today I see it a little differently – my joy is not present because of trials or difficulties that this broken life throws at me. No, my joy is present before the bad times come and after they go away, because of Jesus. Because He has done for me what I am powerless to do for myself – He has given me salvation – an eternal inheritance.
He has given me a glimpse into the end result (see v9)of my pilgrim’s journey through this life, and when my mind stays focused on that reality, the knot in my stomach relaxes and the tears in my eyes turn to sparkles of joy; a joy that can’t be explained or packaged or marketed or recreated in an instagram. It is intangible. And when I live life in that frame of mind, the worst that this life has for me becomes bearable. And the various pains I may suffer become dips in the road that jostle my journey and simply serve as reminders that people around me hurt and struggle and question just like I do.
And God has called me to be His light in darkness, His hand of healing for the sick, His arms of comfort of the broken, and His ambassador in the war for souls…such a high calling leaves no room for self-pity only an expectant joy that God is about to do something with my mustard-seed faith that has to grow in the dirt of earthly struggles! I must never forget that following Jesus is an exercise in seeing the invisible God working His will in a very visible and broken world. For it’s in those moments that I learn to love Jesus more and He can enable me to love others like He loves me.
“Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy.” (v 8)
A Prayer…
Father, things always change the moment I lift my eyes to the unseen…when I again feel the embrace of Your love relationship. That’s where my perspective is re-oriented to Heaven and my eyes can see clearly the soul right in front of me that is in need of Your salvation… Restore to me the joy of Thy salvation to that Your glory can be revealed in me. Amen.
“Let the bones you have crushed rejoice! (Psalm 51:8b)