You rejoice in this, though now for a short time you have had to struggle in various trials so that the genuineness of your faith – more valuable than gold, which perishes though refined by fire – may result in praise, glory, and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. 1 Peter 1:6-7 HCSB
Up until last year we owned a 1982 pop-up camper. We enjoyed family outings in that little camper without any heat or air conditioning with four kids for many years. It was always an adventure and provided many fond family memories. Last year we purchased a used pull-behind travel trailer with heat, air conditioning, a refrigerator, and even a restroom with a shower. We now have all the comforts of home. One of our favorite camping activities is to sit around the roaring campfire and roasting marshmallows. The sticky marshmallows are so good with a piece of chocolate and graham crackers. The only difficulty is that the sticky marshmallows also leave a mess on the wire roasting stick. It can not be removed with a paper towel. The only good way to get the roasting stick clean is to put it in the fire and allow the fire to burn the sticky mess off.
Peter reminds us that our lives are sort of like the messy roasting stick. Life is filled with trials and messy situations. God allows messy situations in our lives to refine us and make us more like His Son, Jesus Christ. Just like gold is refined by fire, the trials of life refine us and help to mold us into the type of person God desires.
Challenge: Rejoice and give God thanks for the trials that come your way. Look for ways that you can grow and become more like Jesus through the difficulties of life. Ask God to show you what you can learn through any trials you are experiencing. Listen to the song “Eye of the Storm” by Ryan Stevenson on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cw3zIA1NJU0