1 Peter 1
Scripture:
6 In 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 your faith – of greater worth than gold which perishes even thought refined by fire – may be proven genuine and 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 goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls.
Observation:
Simply put, trials prove your faith in Jesus, who through Him we obtain the salvation of our souls. Yes! Oh, wait, did that say trials prove your faith? I love the salvation part, but I am not too excited about the trials part. The reality is, life can get hard. There are moments in life that don’t make sense and may seem downright unfair. However, that doesn’t change the fact that God loves us, that Jesus died on the cross for us, and that He is the Lord of our lives. The reward of salvation is found in those who don’t give up. Don’t allow a temporary circumstance to steal an eternal reward! The goal of our faith is the salvation of our souls (verse 9). The Holy Spirit is there to help you along the way. Keep it up; you can do it!
Application:
- Personal Application: Keep your head up–keep moving forward–keep doing what is right, your reward is secure with Jesus!
- Family Application: Talk to your family about a time in your life that was hard but, through the help of the Holy Spirit, you were able to keep your faith in Jesus strong. Encourage them, that no matter what comes their way, to keep their faith in Jesus. (hint – in the end, He wins!)
Prayer:
- Personal Prayer Focus: Ask God for the strength to keep our faith in Him, no matter what.
- Family Prayer Focus: Pray for them to experience God’s presence on a regular basis so that no matter what comes their way in life, their faith will remain.
Three-Year Reading Plan for Sunday, August 16 to Sunday, August 23:
- Sunday, August 16: James 1
- Monday, August 17: James 2
- Tuesday, August 18: James 3
- Wednesday, August 19: James 4
- Thursday, August 20: James 5
- Friday, August 21: 1 Peter 1
- Saturday, August 22: 1 Peter 2
- Sunday, August 23: 1 Peter 3
—TOM GROOT is National Director of Men’s Ministry and Christian Education. Connect with Tom on Facebook or Twitter @TomGrootJr.
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