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.
You love him even though you have never seen him. Though you do not see him now, you trust him; and you rejoice with a glorious, inexpressible joy. The reward for trusting him will be the salvation of your souls.
1 Peter 1:6-9
It’s easy to feel like the trials we are facing today will always be this way. It’s easy to believe that no good could possibly come from the hard, the unjust, or the pain in our lives. But Scripture reminds us of this:
There is purpose in the trials we face.
Are brokenness and betrayal, cancer and car accidents from God? Of course not! These are the consequences of living in a fallen world. But the impact of sin and suffering doesn’t have the final say! (Pause and praise God for that!)
Because God is faithful to work through everything for the good of those who love Him (Romans 8:28), He uses the very things we’d rather avoid to strengthen our faith, compel us to trust, and ultimately give us greater joy in Jesus.
“So be truly glad. There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you must endure many trials for a little while.”
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Great refreshing words! Experiencing a difficult time of back discomfort due to scoliosis. In the past He has brought me thru various other physical problems & I constantly remind myself of that. In the meantime, I seek to find out what He wants me to learn from this, about Him, about myself.
Beautiful encouragement
Very true today’s incourage reading. It make you see just how strong your faith in God is. No matter what you go through in the hard times. Yes you will have them wonder God where are you. I have prayed and asked you help me in this difficult situation I am going through no matter what it is I am going through. It getting no easier. In fact you might see it getting worse before it gets better. Like with a family member not well or you loose your job and wonder how your going to pay your bills or your mortgage etc. Or if got kids you see your kids take seriously ill you say why me this happing to why God. I was watching a TV Hospital programe the other day. I knew this mother was not saved. Through it all her son as teenager took really ill. She said something that made me think and her other kids said something too. We thank God no matter what we as Family are going through they said. We put him into God hands and the Doctor’s hands. The program was a old program on TV he was 14 I think this young lad then. He this lad said Mum no matter what I got my Family and good Doctors to help me through this. That made me think they are not saved yet they have a positive outlook on the young lad. We no matter what we go through in life should it a sickness or loss of job or anything else have to know and put or trust in God even if has to be Doctors if sick no matter what. Even if we pray don’t see God answer our prayers the way we would like or as quickly as we like. Never give up hope as God is still working in the back round in our behalf even if we don’t see it as quickly as we like. God is probably testing our faith to see how strong it is. To see if we truly trust him to answer our prayers. It might not be in our way our our timing but God will answer them. Then we will look back on day see that wonderful joy ahead see that God’s hand was there all along and we can rejoice see God did answer our prayers. But maybe not in our way but in God’s way because God was best. Like that son in that Hospital programe that was very ill with cancer. He is still alive I don’t know how he is today. But at the end of the Hospital programe he was at home doing well with his Family and his Brother’s even though still has to be fed through a tube in his nose. They are all thankful to God and the Doctor’s he is still alive. So is their son. I say Amen to that so that is another story of wonderful joy ahead. Love Dawn Ferguson-Little xx
I needed this today. Thank you.
In Courage,
God tested Moses by asking him to sacrifice his only son Isaac. Going through trials will actually strengthen you & help you to persevere. Almost 8 years ago I went through trials with my aging dad’s dementia & geriatric psych issues. There were days I would sit in the hospital lobby crying my eyes out asking God to take dad. On the other side of that I can see that my faith & trust muscles were strengthened. No matter what comes my way now I trust God has great plans for me. Now I cling to Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the plans I have for you” declares the Lord. “Plans to prosper you and not for harm. To give you a hope & a future.” Loving the song “Thank You Lord” by Chris Tomlin. Here are the 3rd & 4th verses with chorus
Thank You Lord for the hard times For lighting the way in the dark times For pulling me in, forgiving again
The times that I took it too far, I Gotta thank You for keeping me humble For picking me up when I stumble
And although I change, You stay the same And I don’t say thank You enough
For my mama, for my friends For Your love that never ends For the songs that make us dance On this ol’ dirt floor
For my babies, for my girl For the way they changed my world (changed my world) Waking up today Yeah, I just gotta say
Thank You Lord I just wanna say Thank You Lord (oh yeah)
Praise up Eyes closed One thing I know I just wanna thank You Lord, thank You Lord (thank You Lord)
Praise up Eyes closed One thing I know I just wanna thank You Lord, thank You Lord
Blessings 🙂
What a timely message, and such truer words were never spoken. Through all the trials (yes cancer, yes hard bad divorce, yes financial concerns, yes ailing parents) I know my good God is there though His precious Son and my Savior, Jesus Christ. Daily trusting is sometimes the hardest thing to do, but I know God has got this, and His timing is always perfect. I know there is purpose in the hardships I/we face, I struggle in finding Joy in my daily walk. But so often God provides gladness in the small things I take for granted; a beautiful sunset, a hug from a child, a graciousness from a stranger.
Thank you for these greatly needed works of encouragement.