July 8, 2008

And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.

--1 Peter 5:10

Are you struggling today? 

God never tells us that we won’t experience grief or sorrow in this life.  There will be tears.  And, to be honest, sometimes life will just suck the air right out of you.

But we must remember that trials do have a purpose.  Trials can fortify us.  They can prove us, test us, and prepare us.

As today’s verse says, “And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace who has called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.”

The fact is, if you’re a Christian, you’re in a spiritual battle.  Which means you have a very real enemy.  And trials prepare you for this battle and make you stronger.  In fact, you may be going through a spiritual boot camp of sorts today, which is preparing you for the battle ahead!

Think about it this way.  When gold is made, all the impurities must be removed.  The same process of refining takes place in our lives before genuine gold can come forth.

Whatever you may be facing today, keep in mind that God is forming your character, bringing out the gold in you.  Everything has a reason.  You may not see it… you may not understand it… but God is working in your life.

Remember that no matter what you may be going through, you can build your life on the certainty and confident expectation that God is in the midst of it.  Rejoice because He is working in your life and your future!

THINK ABOUT SOME OF THE TRIALS IN YOUR PAST.  WHAT DID YOU LEARN FROM THEM?  HOW DID THEY PREPARE YOU FOR WHAT WAS AHEAD?