Some 2,500 years ago Solomon surveyed the course of
human existence and concluded that life is all vanity
{Eccl. 2:18-23}. He saw the righteous
suffer and felt that it was a form of injustice. Perhaps you too have gone
through, or at the present time going through an extended trial and you
have/are questioning it.
Beloved, there will be trials that will come
our way. We may not understand them all, nor appreciate them when they come,
but we need to be prepared for them just the same. That is Peter's purpose
in these verses. He wants to encourage his readers, but he also wants to
prepare them for what is surely to come. Let's see what Peter's words {1Pet.
1: 6-9} can teach us about our trials and why Christians
suffer:
"Being
Prepared for Glory"
We must keep in mind that all God plans and performs here
is preparation for what He has in store for us in heaven. Nobody
knows all that is in store for us in heaven; but this we do know: "Life
today is a school in which God trains us for our future ministry in
eternity." Notice in V. 6 that Peter used
"trials" rather than "tribulations" or
"persecutions." He shared several facts about trials.
"Trials Meet Needs." Notice in V. 6 the
phrase "if need be;" God
knows what we need, better than we know ourself. Trials prepare us for
spiritual growth, and for sure, we can trust God to know and do what is
best.
"Trials are Varied." Peter used the
word {V.6} "manifold,"
which literaly means "variegated, many-colored." No matter what color our
day may be - God has grace sufficient to meet the needs.
"Trials are not Easy; but they
are controlled by God." They do not last forever; they are for a
season. The important thing is that we learn the lesson He wants to teach us
and that we bring glory to Him alone.
My, but it is encouraging to know that we
are born for glory, kept for glory, and being prepared for glory. Then as
we read on {VV. 8-12}
we learn Christians can enjoy the Glory now. In V. 8, Peter
give four directions for enjoying the glory now, even in the midst of
trials:
Love Christ - Trust Christ - rejoice in Christ, and receive from Christ.
Charles Spurgeon used to say, "Little faith will take
your soul to heaven, but great faith will bring heaven to your soul."
It is not enough that we long for heaven during times of suffering; What
Peter urged his readers to do was exercise love, faith, and rejoicing, so
that they might experience some of the glory of heaven in the midst of
suffering now.
><)))> In "HIS" Service
Bro. Roy
Would you like an in depth study of 1 Peter; then purchase volume 2 "The
Bible Exposition Commentary" by Warren W. Wiersbe.
.
Dear Lord, why do bad things happen to good people?
... Help us to realize that nothing happens to us that You do not
know about, and allow. ... You may let us make mistakes, and You may let
Satan attack us to teach us that we need Your strength and protection.
Whatever the source of our problems, You can turn the outcome to good!*
... Oh Lord, forgive us for getting so caught up in trying to run our own
lives that we fail to seek Your will; forgive us for often turning to You
only in times of crisis; forgive us for being "slow learners;" and forgive
us for letting our pride separate us from You. ... Teach us, Lord, that You
are indeed faithful and trustworthy, just as You want us to be. Give us
faith to see that Your grace is indeed sufficient to sustain us in all
situations.
In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.
* (See Genesis 50:20)By D. L. Hammond, Permission
to copy granted for noncommercial use.