3 Praise be to the God and
Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new
birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from
the dead, 4 and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you, 5 who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. 6 In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. 7
These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater
worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result
in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. 8
Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not
see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and
glorious joy, 9 for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls.
First, I am to be filled with joy through the hope of an inheritance provided to me through Christ and this inheritance will never perish, spoil or fade...indeed!
Second, although I am to experience trials, I am to demonstrate great joy to prove and provide witness to the genuineness of my faith...so that Christ is to be praised, glorified, and honored.
These are piercing verses as many times I lack joy or I lack the demonstration of joy to the extent that Christ is glorified.
My Prayer: Lord, I KNOW that You have provided a rich inheritance that will never perish, spoil, or fade. Yet I confess to You that this is not something that I make myself aware of on a daily basis or on a basis that enables me to be joyful as You call us to be. I thank You for Your great mercy that you shown to me and once again today and in need of such mercy - please forgive me Lord Jesus for my lack of joy and failure to demonstrate a faith the glorifies Jesus Christ. Please purify me of this sin and transform my heart and my life and make me Yours Lord Jesus.
