This is from my Facebook Live from April 28, 2020
Hey friends! Thanks for joining me today. It’s wonderful to be with you. I am thankful for another beautiful spring day here in the midwest!
The passage I will be reading is from 1 Peter 1:6-7. If you have your Bibles, read along with me. I’m reading from the New Living Translation.
“So be truly glad. There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you must endure many trials for a little while. These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold—though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world.”
1 Peter 1:6-7
I’ve had this particular Bible for 5 years. I have these verses highlighted and the dates when we were facing some trials around my husband’s employment when we moved to Ohio. Yes. We walked through some trials for awhile… Yes.. our faith was tested. Yes. God refined us and brought us through those trials. I’m not saying it was easy, but I will tell you it did strengthen us!
Yesterday, I shared about how God has a destiny – a customized life calling He has equipped us for. Oftentimes, God takes us on a detour from where we are to where He wants us to go. Trials can be a part of those detours and aren’t necessarily bad – God uses our pain to grow us. He uses our pain to develop us into the person He desires us to be.
As it says in 1 Peter, there will be JOY ahead, even though we will endure many trials “for a while” – we will get through it! We don’t know why God has called us to walk through this crisis, but He promises to be right beside us.
I want to encourage you today to spend time thanking God for walking with you through your trials. Another verse I love that talks about God being with us found in Isaiah 43:2.
“When you go through deep waters,
Isaiah 43:2 NLT
I will be with you.
When you go through rivers of difficulty,
you will not drown.
When you walk through the fire of oppression,
you will not be burned up;
the flames will not consume you.”
God is with us! Think about the amazing God story He is writing for you during this time!
Will you pray with me?
Heavenly Father, Thank you for being with us this day. Thank you for walking with us through our trials. Thank you for refining us. OH, Lord, I look forward to the wonderful joy we have ahead!
I pray for everyone who is listening to the sound of my voice. I pray they will seek the purpose you have for them. God, draw them to you. Guide them and protect them.
Oh Lord,
- I pray for our state and national leaders as they work on a plan on getting people back to work and our economy going.
- I pray for friends who have lost loved ones, please comfort them.
- I pray for our loved ones who are ill. Lord, touch their bodies.
- I pray for all those who Are on the front lines: first responders, doctors and nurses, people responsible for cleaning the hospitals and nursing home facilities.
- For those who have lost jobs – don’t let them lose hope.
Oh Father, thank you for the privilege to come to you in prayer. We ask these things in Jesus’ name, Amen.
Thanks for joining me today! I hope you have an amazing rest of your day!