Readings for today: Ezekiel 44:1-45:12, 1 Peter 1:1-12, Psalms 119:17-32, Proverbs 28:8-10
“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God's power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.” (1 Peter 1:3-7)
When I read a passage like this I cannot help but think of the hundreds of young men and women I’ve met overseas who endure incredible hardship and suffering to bring the gospel to their people. I think of a South Sudanese man whose family was sent to a refugee camp while he remained behind to minister in the middle of a civil war. I think of a Ugandan man who travels by bus, boat, donkey, and foot to get to the many churches he’s planted to encourage and exhort them to hold fast to Jesus. I think of the men and women I’ve met in Eastern Ethiopia who are planting churches in Muslim villages. Their lives are often threatened. They meet in secret in homes. They’ve spent time in hospitals recovering from injuries and time in prison fighting false charges. They are my heroes and I treasure the time I have with them.
I think of Andrew Brunson. An EPC pastor who was imprisoned for two years in Turkey on false charges. He was harassed. Abused. Suffered through solitary confinement. His “trials” were a joke and the Turkish government sought to use him as leverage to get what they wanted from the United States. He suffered while in prison. He struggled with his faith. His story is a powerful one and he shares vulnerably about what happens when we come to the end of ourselves and find Jesus there waiting for us in the dark night of the soul.
The Apostle Peter was no stranger to suffering. He too battled through beatings and flogging and imprisonments. He was attacked and considered a traitor to the Jewish faith. But he persevered. He boldly proclaimed the gospel even though it would eventually cost him his life. Why? Why did so many of the early Christians sacrifice their very lives? Why have Christians down through the centuries endured such persecution with faith and hope? Why do many Christians around the world today suffer for the cause of Christ? It’s because they believe wholeheartedly in an “inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God's power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.”
What about you? Do you hold fast to this same hope? When you face trials of various kinds, are you able to endure with joy? When you suffer or struggle or battle temptation, are you able to endure with faith? When you feel attacked or falsely accused or put down for your faith, are you able to persevere with hope? Do you fix your eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith who with joy endured the cross, despising it’s shame? If you do, you can trust the promise that your faith - tested and tried by the refining fires of this world - will turn out as gold. And your life will result in praise and glory and honor to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ!
Readings for tomorrow: Ezekiel 45:13-46:24, 1 Peter 1:13-2:10, Psalms 119:33-48, Proverbs 28:11