Wednesday Words of Encouragement

1 Peter 5:12-14 ~

"I have written and sent this short letter to you with the help of Silas, whom I commend to you as a faithful brother. My purpose in writing is to encourage you and assure you that what you are experiencing is truly part of God’s grace for you. Stand firm in this grace.

Your sister church here in Babylon sends you greetings, and so does my son Mark. Greet each other with Christian love.

Peace be with all of you who are in Christ."

In his final remarks, Peter is reminding his readers once again that God is with them in the midst of their suffering and that they need to stand firm. I'm sure they began to doubt as we all do when we go through hard times. Perhaps, they were starting to wonder if they had made the right choice in following Christ. Peter reminds them that God chose them and is with them in the midst of this suffering.

We too, need to be reminded of that from time to time. We can fixate on the problem and forget that our Lord is there with us, walking through it with us. In the ancient process of refining and purifying metals, the silversmith would heat the silver ore and control the temperature of the fire by using bellows. He never left the fire unattended.

God uses the fires of trials and suffering to purify us and to get all the impurities in our lives to rise to the surface so He can skim them off. However, He knows the right amount of heat needed for that and it's never too much or too little. More importantly, He does not leave us during that process. You are not alone! God is with you during your refinement.

Stand firm. Don't give up. Don't question. Remain unwavering in your faith. Persevere in the midst of your suffering.

God will give you strength and the ability to go through your trial. Look to Him for your wisdom and for guidance and He will see you through!