December 23 2011

Tested and True
 
Reading: I Peter 1:6-7, 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 though refined by fire—may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.

Can you imagine walking into the hospital where you are scheduled for open heart surgery? They prep you, wheel you on the bed down to the room where the surgery will take place and then the surgeon comes in the room. “Good morning. I’m Dr. Morris. I will be performing your surgery this morning. Before we go any further, did the nurses come in and have you sign the waiver forms?” “Waiver forms?” you ask. “Oh, well, yes… you see… I have never performed open heart surgery. Actually, I haven’t performed any surgery.” Talk about needing a new heart after that announcement. After you catch your breath, you barely get the words out of your mouth, almost choking, “NEVER? But, you obviously had to have done some surgery during your schooling… right?” To which he responds, “Well, actually, no… but you have nothing to worry about… I graduated with a 4.0 gpa and tested the highest in my class.” How would you respond? How would you feel about this guy performing surgery on you, let alone, open heart surgery? This passage says that our faith is even more important than that! You having to “suffer grief in all kinds of trials” is to serve the purpose of strengthening your faith so that you can perform open heart surgery on the souls of men. The more your faith is tested, the stronger you will become in your faith and the more the world around you will begin to trust that your faith is true and genuine.

What grief and trials are you going through right now?


How can you use those trials today to strengthen your faith rather than get discouraged that you are experiencing them?
End of the Day Review
  
How were you able to handle your grief and trials today?
 
 
What impact did your perception of your struggles and trials have on your faith and what God is trying to do?