And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.
--1 Peter 5:10
Are you struggling today?
God never tells us that we won’t experience grief or sorrow in this life. There will be tears. And, to be honest, sometimes life will just suck the air right out of you.
But we must remember that trials do have a purpose. Trials can fortify us. They can prove us, test us, and prepare us.
As today’s verse says, “And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace who has called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.”
The fact is, if you’re a Christian, you’re in a spiritual battle. Which means you have a very real enemy. And trials prepare you for this battle and make you stronger. In fact, you may be going through a spiritual boot camp of sorts today, which is preparing you for the battle ahead!
Think about it this way. When gold is made, all the impurities must be removed. The same process of refining takes place in our lives before genuine gold can come forth.
Whatever you may be facing today, keep in mind that God is forming your character, bringing out the gold in you. Everything has a reason. You may not see it… you may not understand it… but God is working in your life.
Remember that no matter what you may be going through, you can build your life on the certainty and confident expectation that God is in the midst of it. Rejoice because He is working in your life and your future!
THINK ABOUT SOME OF THE TRIALS IN YOUR PAST. WHAT DID YOU LEARN FROM THEM? HOW DID THEY PREPARE YOU FOR WHAT WAS AHEAD?
Tuesday, June 18, 2019
by Dr. Paul Chappell
“Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.”
Matthew 5:10–12
The repressive Communist government of Romania did everything they could to silence Richard Wurmbrand after their takeover of the country following World War II. He was arrested and imprisoned, but not even prison bars could stop him from proclaiming the truth of the gospel. In his autobiography, Tortured for Christ, Wurmbrand wrote, “It was strictly forbidden to preach to other prisoners. It was understood that whoever was caught doing this received a severe beating. A number of us decided to pay the price for the privilege of preaching, so we accepted their terms. It was a deal; we preached and they beat us. We were happy preaching. They were happy beating us, so everyone was happy.” Wurmbrand’s perspective could only come through his confidence in God’s promises and the Holy Spirit’s work of grace in his life.
Though Jesus promised a blessing for those who are persecuted for their faith, that is a blessing most of us are willing to miss out on receiving. As a result, there are times when we are tempted to be silent with the gospel or avoid taking a stand for Christ when we think it would not be well received. The temptation to take the easy way out is not new. Peter faced it as he warmed himself by the fire outside where Jesus was being tried (John 18:25). But as our society does more to promote evil, our firm stand for the truth must never waver. While none of us would be excited to have to suffer serious persecution, beatings, or worse, as many Christians in the world today do, we should be so committed to following Jesus that if that becomes the choice we face, we will make the right decision.
Today's Growth Principle:
Fear of what others may say or do should never stop us from doing what is right.
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