Read 1 Peter 1:6–7
In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may
have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials.
1 Peter 1:6
All God plans and performs here is in preparation for what He has in
store for us in heaven. He is preparing us for the life and service yet
to come. Nobody yet knows all that is in store for us in heaven, but
this we do know: Life today is a school in which God trains us for our
future ministry in eternity. This explains the presence of trials in our
lives—they are some of God’s tools and textbooks in the school of
Christian experience.
Peter illustrated this truth by referring to the goldsmith (1 Peter
1:7). No goldsmith would deliberately waste the precious ore. He
would put it into the smelting furnace long enough to remove the
cheap impurities; then he would pour it out and make from it a beautiful article of value. It has been said that the Eastern goldsmith kept
the metal in the furnace until he could see his face reflected in it. So
our Lord keeps us in the furnace of suffering until we reflect the glory
and beauty of Jesus Christ.
Something to Ponder
What have your previous trials taught you about yourself?