FRIDAY September 29th
1 Peter 3:13–14
‘Now who is there to harm you if you are zealous for what is good? But even if you should suffer for righteousness’ sake, you will be blessed.’
I want to conclude these few devotions on the theme of suffering for the sake of the gospel by returning back to 1:67, ’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 honour at the revelation of Jesus Christ.’
How genuine would your faith be, and mine, if we were to be tested by various trials that are greater and more severe than anything that we have ever been tested with up until this point?
The psalmist said, ‘For you, O God, have tested us; you have tried us as silver is tried.’ Psalm 66:10
Proverbs 17:3 says, ‘The crucible is for silver, and the furnace is for gold, and the Lord tests hearts.’
To Israel the LORD said, ‘Behold, I have refined you, but not as silver; I have tried you in the furnace of affliction.’ Isaiah 48:10
Job could say, ‘But he knows the way that I take; when he has tried me, I shall come out as gold.’ Job 23:10
How would we come through the furnace of testing? Would we come out as gold? The challenge perhaps is for each one of us to allow the Spirit of God to examine our hearts, to cause us to look at the places where we allow the soles of our feet to tread, to see those things we allow our eyes to watch and our ears to hear, to see the company we choose most to spend our time with and to see if there is any grievous way within us, that would cause us to falter, fall or even fail should a season of suffering befall us.
God give us the help and strength to always stand tall, keep us close to your side, keep us firmly established upon your Word with our eyes fixed upon Jesus.
May I be willing, Lord, to bear daily my cross for thee; then touch my lips with holy fire, to speak of Calvary.