These have come so that your . . . faith may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. (1 Pet. 1:7)
ONE WAY TO ASSESS the genuineness of gold is with an acid test. An item thought to be gold is rubbed on black stone, and then nitric acid is applied to it. Anything that isn’t pure gold will dissolve and the pure gold will remain. Like gold, our faith is tested. In today’s passage, the apostle Peter assured believers that trials come to prove the genuineness of our faith.
Russ and Debbie experienced an acid test. After an arduous struggle with cancer, Debbie’s mom went to be with the Lord. While dealing with that loss, Russ experienced an unexpected cerebral hemorrhage. He teetered between life and death in intensive care for over a month. With countless people praying for him, excellent medical care, and extensive rehabilitation, Russ recovered. Within a very short time, Debbie’s sister suddenly lost her husband. Again they walked through the valley of the shadow of death with a loved one. Although they “had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials” (1 Pet. 1:6), both Russ and Debbie testify of God’s goodness. They are quick to acknowledge that He was with them during the acid test, and their faith in Him was proven to be genuine.
God allows the acid test of trials to prove the authenticity of our faith. Trusting Him in all our trials, our faith will shine like pure gold and He will be glorified
Honor God with your authentic faith.
Kathern Nemec enjoys digging into God’s Word and loves to encourage others with the truth she finds in it.
