it's a 1 Peter day.
1 Peter 1:6-9
6 In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. 7 These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. 8 Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, 9 for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls.
THIS IS THE WORD OF THE LORD!
1 PETER 2:19-25
19 For it is commendable if someone bears up under the pain of unjust suffering because they are conscious of God. 20 But how is it to your credit if you receive a beating for doing wrong and endure it? But if you suffer for doing good and you endure it, this is commendable before God. 21 To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps.
22 “He committed no sin,
and no deceit was found in his mouth.”[e]
23 When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly. 24 “He himself bore our sins” in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; “by his wounds you have been healed.” 25 For “you were like sheep going astray,”[f] but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.
THIS IS THE WORD OF THE LORD!
I thought it was good to open this post with God's Word because it's how I started my day. I saw something I probably could have lived the rest of my life without seeing, but then too, how I stumbled across it convinces me it was no accident that I found it. Yes, you have to guess just exactly what "it" is because I'm not going to share with the general population. Besides, I'm not quite exactly sure what to make of the whole thing anyway.
I ought to be a lot of things, but what I am is at peace. The first part of 1 Peter I saw today was the second part. The first part was on my Facebook page. Look, sometimes God is going to test our faith. He tested Abraham. He's going to test us. But sometimes you don't see that in the middle of the test. The pop quiz just kind of happens. I'm not trivializing those tests by any means. My tests have been very difficult. Sometimes there has been a need for a re-test.
All last night and into this morning, though I was praying for a little bit of wisdom and direction. Yes, I know what I wrote yesterday. Yes, I know God brought me to this point, but I'm thinking that if I'd seen what I had before I wrote yesterday's post, I probably wouldn't have written it. Only a fool says He knows what God is going to do. I don't. I just know that when God chooses to reveal the end of these circumstances in my life, it'll be for His glory, honor, and praise. Not mine. But it's nice to remember that tests of faith have been written about before. Sometimes, we get anxious for God's timing, and I'm certainly in good company there, but instead of freaking out about things, I just calmly took it in stride.
But I didn't do that by myself, either. And, when the sheet metal guy was pounding a fastener in with an air gun at the same time the guy I was working with was annoying me by telling me obvious things, while fighting with a piece of airplane that wasn't cooperating, I almost lost it. I mean, throw a tool across the hangar lost it! But the Holy Spirit of God helped me keep my composure and from then on, the night went quite smoothly.
Sometimes, even when you're suffering, the best thing you can do is just what Scripture says. In my case, for me, right now it's just to do nothing and have faith. Just like I said yesterday. And just like the Scriptures say, there is a reason.
And sometimes the reason is just as simple as this: It's a test of faith.
6 In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. 7 These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. 8 Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, 9 for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls.
THIS IS THE WORD OF THE LORD!
1 PETER 2:19-25
19 For it is commendable if someone bears up under the pain of unjust suffering because they are conscious of God. 20 But how is it to your credit if you receive a beating for doing wrong and endure it? But if you suffer for doing good and you endure it, this is commendable before God. 21 To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps.
22 “He committed no sin,
and no deceit was found in his mouth.”[e]
23 When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly. 24 “He himself bore our sins” in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; “by his wounds you have been healed.” 25 For “you were like sheep going astray,”[f] but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.
THIS IS THE WORD OF THE LORD!
I thought it was good to open this post with God's Word because it's how I started my day. I saw something I probably could have lived the rest of my life without seeing, but then too, how I stumbled across it convinces me it was no accident that I found it. Yes, you have to guess just exactly what "it" is because I'm not going to share with the general population. Besides, I'm not quite exactly sure what to make of the whole thing anyway.
I ought to be a lot of things, but what I am is at peace. The first part of 1 Peter I saw today was the second part. The first part was on my Facebook page. Look, sometimes God is going to test our faith. He tested Abraham. He's going to test us. But sometimes you don't see that in the middle of the test. The pop quiz just kind of happens. I'm not trivializing those tests by any means. My tests have been very difficult. Sometimes there has been a need for a re-test.
All last night and into this morning, though I was praying for a little bit of wisdom and direction. Yes, I know what I wrote yesterday. Yes, I know God brought me to this point, but I'm thinking that if I'd seen what I had before I wrote yesterday's post, I probably wouldn't have written it. Only a fool says He knows what God is going to do. I don't. I just know that when God chooses to reveal the end of these circumstances in my life, it'll be for His glory, honor, and praise. Not mine. But it's nice to remember that tests of faith have been written about before. Sometimes, we get anxious for God's timing, and I'm certainly in good company there, but instead of freaking out about things, I just calmly took it in stride.
But I didn't do that by myself, either. And, when the sheet metal guy was pounding a fastener in with an air gun at the same time the guy I was working with was annoying me by telling me obvious things, while fighting with a piece of airplane that wasn't cooperating, I almost lost it. I mean, throw a tool across the hangar lost it! But the Holy Spirit of God helped me keep my composure and from then on, the night went quite smoothly.
Sometimes, even when you're suffering, the best thing you can do is just what Scripture says. In my case, for me, right now it's just to do nothing and have faith. Just like I said yesterday. And just like the Scriptures say, there is a reason.
And sometimes the reason is just as simple as this: It's a test of faith.
Comments
Post a Comment