“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…may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.” 1 Peter 1:3-7
Reflect
My husband and I have been in survival mode over the past several days as we have battled sleep deprivation and sickness amidst very full schedules. It seems like all you can do in these moments is to take each hour as it comes and use whatever time or resource you have to keep yourself afloat and functional.
Needless to say, I have become much more aware of my human limits…and as much as I hate being uncomfortable, I know such seasons are beneficial to my overall perspective of life. I can’t have it all together. I must acknowledge my need. I must find hope outside myself.
The cares of earthly life often weigh us down and distract us from the things that are eternally significant – rather, the Person who is eternally significant and who deserves our wholehearted faith. So, “if necessary” (1:6), God brings us low in order to exalt Himself and demonstrate His faithfulness in the things that matter eternally. Our bodies, stamina, and efforts are flawed and perishable, but our inheritance in Christ is not…and this is what pushes us onward.
Pray
Father, in some way today would You graciously remind me of my feebleness in light of Your strength and sufficiency? Humble me when I begin to think that I can take on the world or that I should try to in the first place. Make me faithful in the little spheres You’ve placed me in; cause me to find that ability in Christ, my living and only hope, rather than myself. It’s in His name that I come to You with this. Amen.
Your Turn
What are some attributes of God that you do not share as a result of your humanity? How might these differences and limitations cause you to have a more eternal perspective of life and greater hope or joy as you make your way through it?
