1 00:00:02,730 --> 00:00:06,730 Speaker 1: Life Audio. For more resources to help you in your 2 00:00:06,790 --> 00:00:13,580 Speaker 1: walk with Christ, please visit us at BibleStudyHeadquarters.com. You're listening 3 00:00:13,640 --> 00:00:18,500 Speaker 1: to Daily Devotions with Pastor John. I'm John Stonge, and 4 00:00:18,540 --> 00:00:23,090 Speaker 1: today's devotion is inspired by 1 Peter 1, verse 6, 5 00:00:23,090 --> 00:00:27,850 Speaker 1: which says, In this you rejoice, though now for a 6 00:00:27,890 --> 00:00:32,620 Speaker 1: little while, if necessary... You have been grieved by various trials. 7 00:00:35,100 --> 00:00:38,279 Speaker 1: The process of growing up can be a painful experience, 8 00:00:38,620 --> 00:00:41,660 Speaker 1: and for most of us it is. As you're tested 9 00:00:42,040 --> 00:00:45,479 Speaker 1: and you experience certain difficulties for the first time, it 10 00:00:45,520 --> 00:00:48,800 Speaker 1: can be difficult to cope with them. It's also sometimes 11 00:00:48,860 --> 00:00:52,449 Speaker 1: difficult to see beyond them. It's easy to feel like 12 00:00:52,620 --> 00:00:57,460 Speaker 1: they may never end. The joy we have in Jesus 13 00:00:57,660 --> 00:01:02,220 Speaker 1: is not dependent on circumstances. As Peter wrote his letter 14 00:01:02,260 --> 00:01:05,520 Speaker 1: to the early church, he reminded them that even though 15 00:01:05,600 --> 00:01:09,100 Speaker 1: for a little while they were experiencing pain, they could 16 00:01:09,180 --> 00:01:14,310 Speaker 1: still rejoice in Christ. The Lord would bring great things 17 00:01:14,490 --> 00:01:17,630 Speaker 1: out of the trials they were experiencing, so that even 18 00:01:17,690 --> 00:01:21,950 Speaker 1: their most painful experiences in life could become occasions through 19 00:01:21,990 --> 00:01:26,960 Speaker 1: which they could praise God. The perspective we're invited to 20 00:01:27,040 --> 00:01:29,899 Speaker 1: adopt in this passage is to begin looking at the 21 00:01:29,980 --> 00:01:33,380 Speaker 1: trials of life as things that only last for a 22 00:01:33,540 --> 00:01:37,339 Speaker 1: little while. The unpleasant things we experience in life are 23 00:01:37,500 --> 00:01:41,860 Speaker 1: only for a season. Then they're done. But while we 24 00:01:41,910 --> 00:01:45,149 Speaker 1: wait for our trials to pass, we can be confident 25 00:01:45,450 --> 00:01:47,910 Speaker 1: that the Lord is using them to have a great 26 00:01:47,970 --> 00:01:52,050 Speaker 1: effect on our lives and on our faith. The adversity 27 00:01:52,110 --> 00:01:55,340 Speaker 1: we experience in life tests our faith. Let's pray. Lord, 28 00:01:55,360 --> 00:01:57,860 Speaker 1: we thank you for your word. And we thank you 29 00:01:57,940 --> 00:02:00,580 Speaker 1: for this portion of Scripture that we just read together 30 00:02:00,600 --> 00:02:02,600 Speaker 1: from the book of 1 Peter. And Lord, as we 31 00:02:02,740 --> 00:02:05,740 Speaker 1: look at this portion of Scripture, it helps us to 32 00:02:05,760 --> 00:02:26,710 Speaker 1: put things into perspective. We realize that throughout the course 33 00:02:26,750 --> 00:02:30,269 Speaker 1: of our lives, there are times, there are seasons when 34 00:02:30,310 --> 00:02:34,549 Speaker 1: we experience testing and trials. And those seasons can be 35 00:02:34,790 --> 00:02:39,480 Speaker 1: very difficult. They can stretch us in many ways. But Lord, 36 00:02:39,520 --> 00:02:41,660 Speaker 1: you tell us here in 1 Peter and also in 37 00:02:41,680 --> 00:02:44,500 Speaker 1: the book of James that we can rejoice in the 38 00:02:44,560 --> 00:02:48,940 Speaker 1: midst of our trials. Our joy is anchored in you. 39 00:02:49,480 --> 00:02:52,880 Speaker 1: And you remind us that our trials have a great purpose. 40 00:02:53,660 --> 00:02:56,680 Speaker 1: For a little while, we go through them, but then 41 00:02:56,760 --> 00:03:01,320 Speaker 1: our faith is strengthened. Our faith is deepened. We learn 42 00:03:01,400 --> 00:03:03,860 Speaker 1: more about what it means to rely on you in 43 00:03:03,900 --> 00:03:08,360 Speaker 1: the midst of all circumstances. We become stronger people because 44 00:03:08,400 --> 00:03:11,220 Speaker 1: you make us strong. You don't waste these trials. You 45 00:03:11,240 --> 00:03:14,470 Speaker 1: don't waste these tests. You help us to develop a 46 00:03:14,550 --> 00:03:18,169 Speaker 1: deeper faith in you and a joy that's anchored in 47 00:03:18,250 --> 00:03:22,020 Speaker 1: who you are instead of a temporary happiness of, that's 48 00:03:22,139 --> 00:03:26,760 Speaker 1: anchored in our circumstances. Lord, thank you for doing this 49 00:03:26,860 --> 00:03:29,810 Speaker 1: favor for us. And even though it can be quite 50 00:03:29,880 --> 00:03:32,450 Speaker 1: difficult to praise you and thank you in the midst 51 00:03:32,490 --> 00:03:34,609 Speaker 1: of our trials, we pray that we would learn to 52 00:03:34,690 --> 00:03:38,250 Speaker 1: do so because that's what your word encourages us to do. 53 00:03:39,270 --> 00:03:41,190 Speaker 1: And we want to have that kind of faith. We 54 00:03:41,230 --> 00:03:43,410 Speaker 1: want to have the kind of faith that can look 55 00:03:43,430 --> 00:03:45,910 Speaker 1: at a trial and look at a test and say 56 00:03:45,950 --> 00:03:48,590 Speaker 1: it's only for a season, it's not going to last forever, 57 00:03:49,350 --> 00:03:53,089 Speaker 1: and we can still praise you in the midst of it. Again, Lord, 58 00:03:53,110 --> 00:03:55,850 Speaker 1: we thank you for this teaching from your word. We 59 00:03:55,910 --> 00:03:58,120 Speaker 1: pray that by your grace, you would help us to 60 00:03:58,180 --> 00:04:01,300 Speaker 1: apply it to our day-to-day lives. And we commit ourselves 61 00:04:01,340 --> 00:04:05,830 Speaker 1: to you now and pray this all in Jesus' name. Amen.