1 Peter 1-4: God has had me in 1 Peter a lot this year. I studied it for 6 weeks this spring. It is so rich in truth! A verse that I have had to live this year is found in chapter 1.
1: 6 “In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, 7so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.”
If you don’t mind I will break it down for you as it has been revealed to me. It begins with a great reminder that our trials are just for a little while. As we have gone through the trauma of job loss, financial stress due to that and just the normal struggles of life it has been GREAT to remember it is only for a little while. Our trials have been financial and job related, but your trials may have been health, marriage, relationships strained, loss of a loved one. Not sure where you are, but this should be a great reminder that this too shall pass.
The next part of the verse brought great comfort to me as well because in many ways it was my WHY for the trials that had come my way. It reminded me that these trials proved the genuineness of my faith to me and others. As we struggled to keep our head above the water of financial debt and anxiety over lack of finances coming in instead of turning to how we were going to fix it, we turned to God and would bring our requests and supplications to Him with Thanksgiving. He in turn provided DAILY MANNA. I still can’t get that out of my head and believe God wants me to write something on that maybe even in a book form. Daily manna can look very different to each person. To us it was a big ole fried fish one day brought to us by a precious lady in my bible study. Another day it was a gift card sent by a friend from another state. It came the very day Les said “I wish we could go on a date night.” I began to cry the moment I opened the card. God just knew.
The end result of all of the trial is to draw me closer into relationship with the Father and it will pay off in the end. If you are in the throws of a various trial, hold on my friend. Draw closer to the Father and know that this will result in something good. I don’t know what nor do I know when it will come, but even if it doesn’t “work out” like you want it will prove the genuine of your faith.