Keep The Big Picture Of Divine Purpose In Mind!

“In all this, you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory, and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.” 1st Peter 1:6-7.

God wants you to remember what He has already done for you, what he does for you now, and what he would do for you in the future, in the midst of your sufferings now. Secondly, God wants you to reflect on the purpose and the value of your sufferings. Then there is a possibility of great rejoicing amid trials. This great rejoicing is not earthbound, it is heaven-bound. It is unknown to human wisdom. It is not earthly generated, but heavenly generated.

Read the verses before our insight today. Verses 3 to 5 say, in His mercy toward you God gave you a new birth, a living hope, inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. The inheritance is kept in heaven for you. Now through faith, you are shielded by God’s power until you stand before him. Listen! You as a child of God are shielded by God’s power. Missiles will come against you. Arrows would target you. However, God says you are shielded by His power now when you live on this planet earth.

It says there now for a little while you may have to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. However, God wants you to remember the above five points. These are the five reasons why you and I can rejoice in the grace and mercy of God. Almighty God’s mercy is on you. He gave you a new birth, he gave your inheritance that would perish, spoil or fade. The inheritance is reserved for you in heaven, you are shielded by His power now.

Then it says in verse 7 all kinds of trials have come with a divine purpose. What is that purpose? It says these painful trials have come so that your faith in Him would prove genuine. Your unshaken faith and hope in the Lord have greater worth than gold. Gold also would eventually perish, even though it could be refined by fire. However, your faith in God would never perish. Like gold purified, your faith would be purified by the fiery and refining experiences of various trials. Remember your faith is purified through it all. Your faith in the Lord stands shining and purified. Finally, it will result in praise, glory, and honor when Jesus appears.

It says in the midst of it all, you have an inexpressible and glorious joy, even though you do not see him now with your physical eyes. You will receive the end result, which is praise, glory, and honor along with the salvation of your soul forever and ever.

What is the lesson? God is merciful toward you. In His mercy, he did several things for you already. Now, you are shielded by God’s power through your faith in Him. The purpose is you need to be promoted to the next level of faith. God test and purify you like a goldsmith purifies gold to make shining for his Glory in His unique way for you. However, God’s shielding protection is on you even in the purifying time. One day without much delay all these dark times you encountered would result in your praise, glory, honor, and full and complete salvation of your body and spirit.

Remember what God had done already done for you, what he does for you now, and what he would do for you in the future. Think about the big picture God has in mind for you. Then you can rejoice today.