1 Peter 1:6-7 In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ…
There is a goal intended by the Lord for you. On the day that Jesus comes for you, He eagerly desires to bless you with rewards for faithful service. The basis for those rewards will be how you lived your life for Jesus after you took Him as your Lord and Savior. As you go through many and various trials, you will have the opportunity to earn these rewards by remaining faithful to Jesus.
Anyone who is a sincere follower of Jesus has made a confession of faith and trust in Him. We may have even stated that there is nothing in our life that is more important to us than Jesus.
How can this confession be tested? How do you know if you really do love the Lord?
I have often heard a Christian who is in a trial make the statement that “God is testing me”. The truth is that God does not need to test you and I. He already knows exactly how we are going to react, or what we are going to say, in any given situation. Because Jesus is God, He knows everything that is going to happen and He does not need to learn anything.
The trials that you go through are for your benefit. The pain of the trial comes so that you can know if the confession you have made of your trust in Jesus and love for Him, is genuine.
Peter made a confession to Jesus that “He was ready to die for Him”.
Matthew 26:33-35 Peter answered and said to Him, “Even if all are made to stumble because of You, I will never be made to stumble.” Jesus said to him, “Assuredly, I say to you that this night, before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.” Peter said to Him, “Even if I have to die with You, I will not deny You!”
I am certain that Peter sincerely meant what he said to Jesus. The problem is that although we often make these confessions and claims, we do not really know how we are going to react in any given situation, until we arrive there. This is why Jesus permits us to go through these very difficult times of pain and tribulation.
After Peter denied Jesus three times, just as Jesus had told him he would, the scripture says that Jesus was nearby and looked at Peter as he realized his failure:
Luke 22:61 And the Lord turned and looked at Peter. Then Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how He had said to him, “Before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.”
Even before Jesus had told Peter that he was going to deny Him, He also told him that after this event happened and Peter learned just how weak his flesh is, that he would recover from this terrible trial.
Jesus tells Peter that when he does recover, that he is to go back to all of his brothers and tell them about his failure and how loving, faithful and forgiving Jesus is. The effect of others hearing about our failures and what we learned from them, has the result of encouraging and strengthening them also. All of us are going to fail, it helps us so much to hear about how others failed themselves, and what they did to recover.
Luke 22:31 And the Lord said, “Simon, Simon! Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail; and when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren.”
Peter learned details about himself and the state of his heart from this trial, in a way that he never could have discovered by any other means. This is why Jesus allowed Peter to suffer through the trial.
Peter’s words today encourage and strengthen each one of us who read of his terrible trial, his failure and how the Lord taught him so much by letting this happen to him.
In your walk with Jesus today, as you come to those moments of failure, confess your error to Jesus, receive His forgiveness, learn from the mistake, and move on. Then honestly share your story with others who will be able to grow and learn from the pain and suffering you endured.
This is the real purpose of your trials, that you might grow and be able to strengthen others in their trials.
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