Endurance for the Journey, Featured, Hope
Our Unseen Hope
In this you greatly rejoice, though for now for a little while
you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials.
These have come so that your faith –
of greater worth than gold,
which perishes even though refined by fire –
may be proved genuine and may result in praise,
glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.
Though you have not seen him;
and even though you do not see him now,
you believe in him and are filled
with an inexpressible and glorious joy,
for you are receiving the goal of your faith,
the salvation of your souls.
1 PETER 1:6-9 (NIV)
Though we have not seen Him, He calls us to love Him. Though we do not see Him now, He calls us to believe in Him (even if things aren’t going so well). And the result when we do so? We are filled with “inexpressible and glorious joy” which will culminate in the salvation of our souls.
Seeing is not always necessary for believing. What is necessary is trust in the One who has shown Himself faithful. Placing our faith in Him is not gullible, it’s smart – or in Jesus’ words, “You believe because you have seen me. Blessed are those who believe without seeing me.” JOHN 20:29
We can rejoice, too,
when we run into problems and trials,
for we know that they help us develop endurance.
And endurance develops strength of character,
and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation.
And this hope will not lead to disappointment.
For we know how dearly God loves us,
because he has given us the Holy Spirit
to fill our hearts with his love.
ROMANS 5:3-5 (NLT)
On the journey with you,
Jan & Dave Dravecky
