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Living Hope

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade— kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. 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 honour when Jesus Christ is revealed.

1 Peter 1:3-7

This is a wonderful passage of scripture as we move on from Easter.

It reminds us of what Jesus has done and the inheritance we have in him, an inheritance that can never spoil or fade.

It goes on to remind us that we may have to suffer grief and trials but that these come so that our faith, of greater worth than gold, will be refined and strengthened.

This feels very real right now. We are suffering grief and trials. Each one of us has our own story to tell about this pandemic and its effects on our lives and the lives of our friends and family. But the passage tells us that we’re shielded by God’s power and our faith is being refined even as we press on.

That’s a tough call. What’s our response? We have no choice about the trials we’re experiencing. This is happening and may go on for a long while. What we can make a choice about is our response. Will we seek God as never before during this time to try to discern his plans and purposes for us….or drop our gaze onto the world, the virus, the media and the statistics?

We didn’t choose this path but we can choose our response to it and allow it to refine us as we walk through it.

Father, please open the eyes of my heart so I can begin to perceive your plans and purposes. Thank you that you are sovereign. Thank you that you’re in control. Refine me through this and increase in me the gift of faith… and may that faith result in praise and glory and honour to you.

Mark Searle, 01/05/2020