February 9, 2022

1 Peter 4:14

It’s hard to consider suffering a blessing. But for the Christian, suffering is God’s “refining fire”. A fire that burns away the impurities of our flesh nature, producing in us a new nature. One reflective of the purity of Christ. Those who suffer on behalf of Christ do so because they have a unique perspective.  They are focused on the eternal instead of the temporal, they value God’s opinion more than the opinion of mere man. And they know that if God allows suffering, it is to serve the higher purpose of His will. God promises that such suffering has eternal merit and reward.

If we are submissive to His will, God will give us the strength and resources to endure whatever circumstances He allows into our lives. He wants us to trust even when we don’t understand and challenges push us to our utter limits. To depend completely on Him and trust that He has a higher purpose. Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.  (2 Corinthians 4:16-18)

Blessings….Becky