Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to
try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you. 1st Peter
4:12
Read: 1st Peter 1:1-7, 1 Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to the strangers
scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia,
2 Elect
according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the
Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto
you, and peace, be multiplied.
3 Blessed
be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant
mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus
Christ from the dead,
4 To an
inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in
heaven for you,
5 Who
are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed
in the last time.
6 Wherein
ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness
through manifold temptations:
7 That
the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth,
though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory
at the appearing of Jesus Christ: King James
Version (KJV)
Bible in one year: 2nd Chronicles 5:2-7:3, Proverbs
31:1-15
MESSAGE
Faith, by its very nature, must
be tried, and the real trial of faith is not that we find it difficult to trust
God, but that God’s character has to be cleared in our own minds. Faith in its
actual working out has to go through spells of isolation. Never confuse the
trial of faith with the ordinary discipline of life. Much that we call the
trial of faith is the inevitable result of being alive. Faith in the Bible is
faith in God against everything that contradicts Him – ‘I will remain true to
God’s character whatever He may do’. “Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him”
– this is the most sublime utterance of faith.
Trials of faith are difficult to
bear; for they cause heaviness or depression of the mind, (Hebrews 10:32). “Why art thou cast down, O my soul! And why art
thou disquieted within me?” is often the language of the child of God. But
ought he ever to be cast down? Ought he not to be superior to the trials of
life, and to soar above them as on eagles’ wings? No; Christianity is not
Stoicism, and, if a believer does not feel his troubles, there would cease to
be such, and it would not affect their purpose and design. While, he does not
yield to a spirit of dejection, or allow it to overcome him, he must feel when
in the furnace or trial even as did our Lord Himself. In the presence of others,
however, he should endeavour to be cheerful, and the more so if he occupies a
public position in the Church, so that he doesn’t discourage those around him.
When Joseph’s brethren appeared before him, he felt deep emotions, and could
scarcely restrain himself. He left them, therefore, that he might weep in
secret before God, and then he returned, relieved of the oppressive load (Genesis 43:30-31).
“Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial
which is to try you, as through some strange thing happened unto you:”
1st Peter 4:12
Trials of faith should be endured
because they are temporary. Trials are not supposed to be permanent fixtures in
life, they are for a season. A day of adversity comes, when darkness intercepts
the skies, when the storm sets in on every side, when not a gleam of light
shines upon the path you tread; and then, perhaps, you hastily concluded that
it will always be so. But no; sorrow endures for the night, but joy comes in
the morning. It is only for a while that the trials lasts, and before long
there is an opening in the clouds, the sun’s bright beams burst through them
again, and you are filled with hope and joy. There are some trials, which are
life-long in their effects, and can never be forgotten, like a deep wound in
the flesh which, though healed, leaves a scar which must be carried to the
grave. But the longest trials, and those which leave the deepest wounds, are
only for a season – the season of our earthly life, and in a brighter sphere we
shall forget them all, or remember them only as the wounded soldier remembers
what he has passed through when he returns victorious from the field of battle.
May you receive strength to bear your trials and to overcome all in Jesus’
name.
Prayer Point
Father, please don’t let me fail in the trials of life in Jesus’
name.
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