5 Minute Read + Scripture readings
Today’s Bible Reading:
Today’s Bible Verse(s):
“You rejoice in this, even though now for a short time, if necessary, you suffer grief in various trials so that the proven character of your faith — more valuable than gold which, though perishable, is refined by fire — may result in praise, glory, and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.”
1 Peter 1:6-7 (CSB)
Reflections on Today’s Bible Verse(s):
We don’t like it when life gets hard. We resist it. We look to Heaven and wonder why.
“What have I done to deserve this?”
Yet, difficulties are simply a part of the human experience. And if we really give it some thought, we love movies where the characters face difficulties. A movie where the characters never face trials would have no climax, no suspense, no plot. In other words, it would be boring.
So, as God writes the story of our lives, we need to realize that it will have its ups … and downs. There will be times when we suffer.
What’s a Christian supposed to think about suffering? Are we simply to grin and bear it? Are we supposed to fake it until we make it?
Nope.
Instead, we are to realize that one of the many things God is desiring to do in the suffering is to provide us with an opportunity to check the genuineness of our faith. If we truly belong to Jesus, then trials will bring us closer to Him, not push us farther away. Trials will purify our faith and we will grow to become more like Jesus.
Just as gold if purified in the fire and made more valuable, so our faith is purified in the fire of difficulties and made more valuable.
So don’t spend your time wondering why God has brought difficulties into your life. Allow Him to do His work through those trials to show you that you really belong to Him as He works to bring about greater degrees of holiness in your life.
* * * * * * * * * *
Lord Jesus, while I long to be in Heaven where I will not longer experience the difficulties of living in a broken, sin-sick world, I realize that You have ordained that trials bring about a good result in my life. I pray that I will develop the mindset that James spoke about when he said that I am to “count it all joy when I fall into various trials” because those difficulties are sent by You to provide faith-building and character-building opportunities. So, while I won’t pray for trials, I will embrace what You can do through them in me. Amen.
Matt’s Musings 