1 Peter 1:6-7 “In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. 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.”
How are you doing today? Over the next couple of days, we’re going to dive deeper into our perspective regarding trials. Peter uses the phrase “many trials.” The original Greek word literally means “many colors.” Because trials come in all different shapes and sizes, the notion of many colors rings true. Sometimes they are physical. You come down with a cold, you get stuck in bed for weeks, you injure your back, or you’re diagnosed with a terminal illness. At times, trials are financial. You or your spouse lose your job, you find out you owe more taxes than you expected, or your car unexpectedly breaks down. Other times, it’s the pain of something you’ve been waiting for. You thought you’d be married, be pregnant, have started your career, or bought a house by a certain point in your life.
Life can feel like it’s crushing us at times. In the last year, people I love have lost jobs, lost spouses, gone through cancer, had kids go crazy, had friends at school betray them, or have a close friend take their own life.
How in the world can Peter have the audacity to tell us to rejoice in the midst of our pain? A part of me wants to shake Peter and tell him, “You don’t know my situation.”
Anybody else? If you had my situation, Peter, you wouldn’t be telling me to rejoice. You’d be saying, “Sorry, bro, that sucks!”
Now, maybe he would say that first. In fact he uses this phrase, “you have suffered grief.” I love that he doesn’t minimize the struggle. A trial is a trial. Someone else’s struggle may seem easier than yours, but until you are under the weight someone else carries, you should never judge their strength!
Part of walking through trials is recognizing that they do cause pain—emotional, physical, spiritual, relational, financial, and mental pain!
Perhaps your greatest challenge is spiritual. Maybe you’re angry that God is allowing you to go through this. Listen, although I don’t know your situation, I can relate to that emotion.
God, why? Couldn’t you make it easier? Couldn’t you have given me a different struggle? I want her issues, not my issues. I want his problems, not my problems!
What is your trial? What’s the thing you keep hoping would go away? You have looked, searched, and prayed asking God to take this situation away, but it’s still here.
I love the image that Peter gives us about faith that has been tested and purified like gold. When you want to purify gold, you heat it up so that all the impurities come to the surface. Once that happens, it’s much easier to scrape off all the impurities.
I am not a piece of gold, but if I were, I would imagine that the scraping would be painful. I would want to hide when the goldsmith comes out with his scalpel.
That’s how I feel about my trials. Pressure, difficulty, and trials have a way of revealing the impurities. During difficulties, we see nasty traits inside of ourselves. My fear, worry, selfishness, laziness, anger, pride, and insecurity rise to the surface.
The real question is, do I want to get rid of all that stuff? Do you want a faith that is purified, or would you rather just stay as you are now? God is testing your faith, and a faith that has been tested is a faith that can be trusted.
God doesn’t test you because he’s mad at you. God is testing and refining to help you have a faith that is of greater worth than gold. I love that image. Don’t we all value gold? Peter says it would be better to have faith formed through the fire than treasures of gold.
I’ve found Jesus to be a really good friend. He is kind, loving, and gracious. I’ve also found Him to be surprisingly willing to work with our desires. When your deepest desire is to walk by faith, He will use trials to make you into a person of deep character.
When your deepest desire is ease of life and comfort, He may give you space to do life as you wish. But this choice on your part will not be without regret. In fact, it’s very possible that the thing you think you want—a life without hardship or pain—will push you further into the thing you are trying to avoid: pain.
The pain of regret is far worse than the pain of walking with Jesus and embracing a life of faith.
Comfort is not found in ease of life. Instead, it’s found in the fact that you are not alone and your suffering is not without purpose. Every follower of Jesus has walked through trials. Even Jesus, the King of Heaven and Earth, went to a cross and suffered for you.
Unfortunately we don’t get to choose the size, the shape, or duration of our trials. We can’t shorten them or even avoid them. The choice we get to make comes in allowing the trial to do its work in us to make us more like Jesus. God is a God who speaks. He loves you and wants to speak to you as you speak to Him. Today the Holy Spirit is in the room with you.
What is your trial? Write it down. Talk to Him about it. Ask Him for eyes to see how He is using it to shape you. Ask Him to help you endure and persevere. Ask Him to give you a hunger and thirst for righteousness. Ask Him to give you a faith that is of greater worth than gold.
Father, we ask for your help with our trials. Help us have perspective to see that you are using our struggles for our good. Help us endure! In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.
“Comfort is not found in ease of life. Instead, it’s found in the fact that you are not alone and your suffering is not without purpose.”
Needed that.
Great reminder that testings, trials, pain, discomfort… all can be tools for sharpening my character.
In all trials, God is teaching us something in order to grow our character. Like any good father, he allows his children to make mistakes and go through some bruises in life. We would be spoiled children if we were always in a bubble.
Wish I had read this 6 months ago!
Rejoice in ur trials, for trials produce character and character, Hope, but Hope does not disappoint us.
A father does not test us by giving us sickness and disease. In fact a father brings the child to a doctor to find a cure for the child.
I like the comparisons brings me back to a verse in the bible that says we are being sifted like a baker sifts through baking powder taken out all the impurities to make a fine pastry
Really needed to hear this, I’ve been struggling with the same trial for almost 30 years and don’t seem to find an end to it. Good reminder to ask God about it to have His perspective that this struggle is for my good
“Martha answered, “I know he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.” Jesus said to her, “I am…” and Lazarus came to Life.
The Great I Am. Jesus. Hosanna. Save now.
I read that as, “No pressure, no diamonds”
It can be hard not to want out of trials and instead remember that God is using the trial for my good. I’m going to take some time to process the idea of “many colors” for my trials! Wonder if giving my trial a certain color (like labeling it on a scale of 1 to 10) would help me see that I’m getting through it as the color changes. Maybe the trial wouldn’t feel so stagnant
“ Comfort is not found in ease of life. Instead, it’s found in the fact that you are not alone and your suffering is not without purpose. Every follower of Jesus has walked through trials. Even Jesus, the King of Heaven and Earth, went to a cross and suffered for you.”
My uncle died recently, and we were not able to attend the funeral because of all the restrictions with COVID. Many people experienced this at this time, among whatever else that was already on their plate. However, this reminds us that Jesus experienced the greatest suffering of all. He showed us the greatest miracle after, in that he was RISEN from the dead. That’s how I imagine what it would be like once we overcome our struggles from this season. Our pain and sadness will be lifted and we will come out glowing. Thank you Pastor Andy, this devotional is helping so many, including myself.
Some years ago a brother in Christ was going through difficult times. He prayed on it and the Lord gave him the vision of a tiny light bulb.
Jesus told him that a tiny 1 watt lightbulb will never be able to shine with a 1000 watts if it is not crushed and reformed into a newer, better bulb!
I try to keep this parable in my heart too.
This speaks to me. amen!
The thought about trying to avoid pain and seek ease and comfort can actually lead to the pain of regret is really challenging! Don’t settle for the lesser.
If there is testing of faith, what am I purifying today?
I am glad to go through the trials of this life as He is always working and making me into a person of deep character!
When going through trials and building character, lots of imperfections come up but working through them is so worth it. Take it one step at a time. Then when I look back I can see how God was working through me.
This devotion really called me out on my stuff! It reminded me that regardless of the size of trials we are going through, God is there for all of them. He wants us to come to Him for even our smallest trials. And that’s where I’ve been falling short, seeking Him even in the little stuff. From this day forward, I will embrace even my smallest trials, and lean on God to shape me.
I’m glad for this encouragement. I remember early in my life as a Christian being told “this will make your life better but it will not make your life easier.” This has proved true though maybe
I have definitely felt that no one can understand my pain, that it was worse than anyone else’s. Somehow it helps to hear that others feel that too sometimes.It definitely helps to know that my pain isn’t wasted and that God turns it into something beautiful.
One of my favorite verses that God gave me during a very difficult time is James 1:2 “Consider it pure joy my brothers during times of trials and tribulations.” The verses that follow (3-4) are gold. Thanks Pastor Andy for reminding us the work that suffering, trials and difficulties can have in our lives. Thankful to God for the many struggles that have continued to make me more like Him.
Man, even when I’m not sitting right in front of Andy on the other end of the camera, he still finds a way to talk directly to me. What is God revealing to me in the midst of these trials? What does He want to purify in my life? I pray that God would deepen my faith and lead me to a place where I can truly have joy amidst trials.
I ask god to give me strength, patience during this testing period .
And I believe that he doing and will do great things in my life
Thanks Pastor Andy
Praise the lord
My trials can make me more like Jesus so long as I hang tight to trust in the Lord.
I’m so grateful for these daily encouragements.
“Comfort is not found in ease of life. Instead, it’s found in the fact that you are not alone and your suffering is not without purpose.”
There is growth in the struggle. So good!
I love how you said if you want to walk by faith he will give you the trials to work on that. So good!
I love all the comments here! Amen
I feel sometimes everyday is a trial to be better person, and through my trial Jesus speaks to me we will get through this together. As I have done in the past.
Thank you so much for what I have just now read; days 1 thru 4. HE loves
me, and all of us so very much. I have a lump in my throat that is so thick and so very comforting. Thank you Pastor Andy !
In tears right now… Thank you, Pastor Andy, for this blog today. I’m behind on my reading, but maybe it was for a reason because your words and message today came at the perfect time.
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