Faith and Suffering –
A comment from my Grandpa recently got me thinking and reading about these two things. I Peter 1 spoke to my heart more than other passages. Here is what the Lord brought out to me:
We can rejoice in the power of God that keeps us saved (vs. 5), even though we are heavy hearted while now experiencing multiple tribulations.
Gold is precious. And yet even the most precious gold, that has been refined and purified by the intensest of fires, will perish. Your faith, Peter says, is more precious even than that kind of gold. And your faith is being tested for a purpose – that you will bring praise and honor to the Lord Jesus Christ when he returns for you. (vs. 7)
Though you have not seen Him, you love Him. Though you have not seen Him, you believe, and that faith allows you to rejoice with unspeakable joy – even in the midst of your suffering. (vs. 8)
Christ also suffered, (vs. 11) should we expect less? Yet we know the end of the story that He was glorified and continues to be glorified, so let us strive to be obedient to what He asks us to do and let us strive to be holy, just like Him. His blood (vs. 19) saved us, and yet our obedience (made possible by the Holy Spirt) to the Truth (even in tribulation) will purify our souls, changing us to be more like Christ.
And the Word (the Truth) endures forever, (vs. 22) which I believe communicates that this is a process and also communicates comfort by the fact that purification comes through obedience to the Truth and the Truth is never going away. Truth will always be here, the purification process never stops and therefore – There is always hope (vs. 13-25).
May His grace and peace be multiplied unto you today (vs. 2) as you “greatly rejoice” (vs. 6) in your God-given, gold-purifying trial.