Endurance for the Journey, Faith, Featured

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,
and into an inheritance
that can never perish, spoil or fade.
This inheritance is kept in heaven for you.
1 PETER 1:3-4 (NIV)

Sometimes we’re tempted to think that life’s hardships have somehow managed to wipe eternity off the map. We imagine that our suffering demonstrates there is no such place as heaven. When thoughts like that begin to bedevil us, we need a dose of minor-league thinking: Every minor leaguer knows that no matter how uncomfortable and long the trip to the next ball field might be … the trip won’t last forever and the diamond will be waiting for him at the end.

The Bible promises us that no matter how difficult our journey may become the length of our journey never alters the reality of our destination. That is what the Apostle Peter meant when he declared that all those who have been given “new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead” are also guaranteed “an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade.” And why is that inheritance secure? Because it is “kept in heaven for you.”

So be truly glad.
There is wonderful joy ahead,
even though you must endure
many trials for a little while.
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 gold.
1 PETER 1:6-7 (NLT)

On the journey with you,
Dave Dravecky