ALL KINDS OF TRIALS
26th Oct 2016
We have been visiting friends in New South Wales during our time in Australia and New Zealand, we have known them all for a very long time. However, life has not been easy, and as I read 1 Peter 1:6 this phrase jumped out of the page - “all kinds of trials”!
This is a very accurate description of all our friends; there has been bereavement, sickness and ill health, relationship breakdowns, family issues and challenges to find employment. Some have been wonderfully redeemed, others remain a battle of faith.
Peter tells his readers that these trials have come for a purpose, “These have come so that your faith - of greater worth than gold which perishes even though refined by fire - may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honour when Jesus Christ is revealed.” (verse 7)
We listened with joy and thanksgiving as we heard of the way God had redeemed tragic situations and brought healing and restoration. We heard of other situations that are still unresolved. We prayed together and declared that God is faithful and will bring His peace and presence into each dilemma.
When trials come is it very easy to put the blame on others and even on God. He is not to blame; we live in a fallen world where we face the consequences of sin on a daily basis.
We have a choice; we can wallow in our troubles, become resentful and unforgiving, or we can rise up in faith and trust God for His transforming grace. We rejoiced with our friends who have proved the faithfulness of God, and turned trial into triumph, and tragedy into victory, and we are standing in faith with those who are still in the middle of the battle, both against ill health and personal challenges.
Peter is clear, when trials come our way, our lives in Christ should enable us to live in victory and bring glory and praise to God. When this happens others will see that we live differently to those who have no living faith in Jesus.
