1 Peter 1:7-9 NLT
These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold-though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honour on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world. [8] You love Him even though you have never seen Him. Though you do not see Him now, you trust Him; and you rejoice with a glorious, inexpressible joy. [9] The reward for trusting Him will be the salvation of your souls.
The currency of Heaven is faith leading to faithfulness.
We know from God's Word that He IS faithful and plans to change our fickle hearts into His nature.
How does He do this?
"Simples"! He turns up the heat in our lives by allowing trials to burn off the impurities that exist in our faith.
Peter compares it to how gold is purified - by heating it up. This separates the gold from other substances, which are then drained off.
The Lord wants us to rely solely on Him - not Him plus something else.
I was challenged greatly some years ago to give up my job to go self employed. I didn't want to go it alone and would rather have stayed in that steady job which I'd had for over 20 years.
But God challenged me with His Word.
Deuteronomy 8:18 NKJV
"And you shall remember the LORD your God, for it is He who gives you power to get wealth, that He may establish His covenant which He swore to your fathers, as it is this day.
That Word was the sword of the Spirit which I clung to as I gave in my notice.
Believe me, it was hard and went against the grain of logic of this material world. There were dissenting voices from well meaning souls around me.
Now over 25 years later I can testify that God IS faithful to His Word.
In my most weakest time, materially and emotionally, He miraculously formed a business for me, supplying my needs along the way.
Looking back I trace the wisdom of the Father guiding through so many challenges and hard times, and now I wouldn't go back and exchange these trials for an easy life.
His plan was to exchange my "currency" from the tangible into the intangible - walking by faith and not by sight.
It's always tempting to revert to worldly values, but Jesus wants us to live by His "gold" standard - faith!
If you're going through some fierce trial - hold on - believe that God is working in this to refine your faith.
You will come out minus the dross and shining for Jesus.
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