Dear Word of Life Family:
I hope and pray that everyone is doing well and is safe and healthy! We miss and
love you all and can’t wait until we can gather together once again in God’s House!
But this too shall pass we just need to be patient as we continue in the faith! Let me
share a short devotional with you that I shared at our Tuesday Live-Stream Prayer
Meeting! I hope and pray this will strengthen and encourage the body of Christ.
FAITH TRIED BY FIRE
1 Peter 1:6-9 says, “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, whom having not seen
you love. Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy
inexpressible and full of glory, receiving the end of your faith — the salvation of
your souls.”
This is a powerful text and one that is worth our attention! The Word of God is
good, and we need God’s Word to speak to our hearts! No doubt these are trying
times! We have never lived through a pandemic of this magnitude before and there
are a lot of people that are losing their patience and their tempers and accusing one
another during this crisis.
These are peculiar days…just like the Bible tells us in prophecy. Paul said in 2
Timothy 3:1, “But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come…”
The word – “Perilous” – in the Greek text is (chalopes) and it means, harsh,
savage, difficult, dangerous, painful, fierce or grievous.
This pretty much describes the days in which we are living right now! We are living
in the last days! These days are evil! Jesus said these are the beginning of sorrows.
People are full of fear and anxiety! People are worried about losing their homes,
jobs or their life savings! These are difficult and hard to deal with times!
But what do we do as a Christian and what is God doing?
According to the Bible we as Christians are going to be tried! Our faith is going to
be tried and even tried by fire! I suppose that none of us might have thought that we
would live or endure through something like this…but here we are. We have no
choice…but we have a choice as to how we will respond to a crises or trial in our
lives!
As Christians our faith will be tested and even tested by fire! Fire is a purifying
process and that’s exactly what God wants to do in each of us. He wants to purify
our faith…because it’s faith that pleases Him. True Faith! Genuine Faith! Faith
that has been tested! Because we don’t really know what we have until it has been
tested! Talk is cheap…but actions really tell what we are!
God uses these trials and even pandemics like this for growth and development in
each of us! Yes…trials help us to grow in our relationship with the Lord and our
Christian faith! We can murmur and complain like the Children of Israel did in the
wilderness…or we can trust Him!
Proverbs 3:5-6 says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own
understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.”
But let’s look at the next verse, “Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and
depart from evil. It will be health to your flesh, and strength to your bones.”
Let’s not lean on our own understanding or wisdom (human intellect) …but let’s put
our faith in the Lord! God knows what He is doing! He will guide and direct our
steps! God will lead us in the right direction! Through difficulties, trials and
hardships we will continue to look to the One who knows all things and is in
complete control!
God uses these trials for growth and development! To mature us as Christians! To
grow our faith! To come to a faith that is pleasing to God! Faith that’s been tried
by fire!
Just as God was in the fire with the three Hebrew men…God is with you! You’re
not alone! He’s right here! He hasn’t left us! He hasn’t abandoned us! The Lord
stepped in the fire with Shad-Rach, Meshach and Abed-Nego and God has stepped
in the fire with you!
These trials help us to grow in our relationship with the Lord and our Christian faith.
Don’t lose sight on heaven! This causes us to dig deeper in His Word! I pray that
we are all spending more time in the Word of God and in prayer! Prayer alters the
course of events! Paul said to pray without ceasing! Have a continual heart and
attitude of prayer! If this pandemic doesn’t move us as Christians to prayer, then
nothing else will!
I pray for all of you and your families! But what I pray for with all of us is that we
will all have a deeper walk with Jesus! To know Him, to know His Word, to know
His voice, to know His Spirit and to know His presence!
That God would develop in each of us a teachable spirit! One that hungers for Him
more than anything else in life. Matthew 6:33 says, “But seek first the kingdom of
God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.”
May we use this time to draw near to God! To know Him like you’ve never known
Him before! Through these tests and trials let God do a deep inner-work in your
life! Let God burn the dross, impurities and flesh out of our lives!
May He increase as we decrease! So that when this is all over His church will be
purified and there will be nothing left of self and in this Christ will be glorified!
So, my brothers and sisters in Christ…Keep the faith! Don’t give up! Don’t give-
in! Those who endure to the end shall be saved! Amen!
If there is anything you need or that we can do for you, please don’t hesitate to call
the church office. I am here most days. God bless you!
With Christ’s love,
Pastor Mark