So be truly glad. There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you must endure many trials for a little while. These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold—though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world.
1 Peter 1:6-7 (NLT)
If you’re facing difficulties that you didn’t cause on your own, then don’t give up hope, don’t lose faith. I know it’s hard to keep the optimism and hope alive in your heart, especially after the series of unfortunate events you’ve just survived, but your story does not end with you faltering here at this trial. You have to cling to your faith so you can face the next trial, and the next.
Peter is writing to Christ followers who have lost everything and are living as exiles in a land they cannot call their own. They literally cannot go back home and the place they are living is not home, there is no rest, it’s just another day to face trial after trial until hopefully, they can’t stop facing the trials of immigration and not having a network or people to rely on. There’s a promise despite all that is going against them: they will be purified and their faith will be ready for the day they anticipated, when Jesus comes as king of this world.
In the 21st century, in the United States, Peter is speaking to all of us who refuse to compromise our faith in Jesus for any the norms and values that are contrary to what we believe as truth: We are not gods, we are God’s. That is our trial, to practice what we believe about being God’s children and not gods.
When you continue to cling to your faith trial after trial, then and only then, will you finally be at a place where your endurance pays off– when you’re claiming your inheritance from Jesus. That’s how our character is developed until we’re ready to claim what is ours in faith. It’s a difficult road, but our character will become Christ-like, and we will become worthy of an inheritance that will not perish after all is said and done.
Prayer:
Father in heaven, please help us cling to you in faith. Help us cling to you when times are good, but especially more so when times are bad and we’re up against the world by ourselves. We need you more than ever because what we believe about your truth and your love and your mercy is so contrary to the world we live in. Develop us to be more like you. In Jesus name. Amen.
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