Read 1 Peter 1:3-9
3 Let
us give thanks to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! Because of his
great mercy he gave us new life by raising Jesus Christ from death. This fills
us with a living hope, 4and so we look forward to possessing the
rich blessings that God keeps for his people. He keeps them for you in heaven,
where they cannot decay or spoil or fade away. 5They are for you,
who through faith are kept safe by God’s power for the salvation which is ready
to be revealed at the end of time.
6 Be
glad about this, even though it may now be necessary for you to be sad for a
while because of the many kinds of trials you suffer. 7Their purpose
is to prove that your faith is genuine. Even gold, which can be destroyed, is
tested by fire; and so your faith, which is much more precious than gold, must
also be tested, so that it may endure. Then you will receive praise and glory
and honour on the Day when Jesus Christ is revealed. 8You love him,
although you have not seen him, and you believe in him, although you do not now
see him. So you rejoice with a great and glorious joy which words cannot
express, 9because you are receiving the salvation of your souls,
which is the purpose of your faith in him.
Think
As Peter writes to these Christians he acknowledges that
their lives are not always easy. In fact
– living as a Christian is sometimes really hard. Even though it is hard Peter encourages
Christians to persevere; knowing that their hope is always in Christ.
Pray
Lord, sometimes my faith is tested quite severely. I often want to give up following you. Help me to keep my eyes focused on the hope
that I have in you as I work through this life and its struggles.
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