The Joy of Salvation
By Megan Snoek
1 Peter 1:3, 6-7
All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is by his great mercy that we have been born again, because God raised Jesus Christ from the dead.
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 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.
I wonder today if you remember…
The day you first made a decision for Jesus?
The overwhelming sense of joy, or relief that overcame you?
The fervour that came with the commitment you made?
What it was like to declare “I surrender my life to you, Lord”?
Since then, maybe you have experienced disappointments and hardships that have dulled the flame of your passion for God. Maybe the ups and downs along the way have left you feeling burnt out or in the shadows. Maybe you’ve forgotten what it was like that day you first made a decision…
Rest assured, God’s heart for us burns no less today than it did the day we surrendered our life to Him and, truly, the best is yet to come on our journey of faith.
Today as we end off our week of prayer and fasting, our prayer for you is that the same passion and joy you experienced the first time you encountered God would be ignited again. As Peter says, despite any trials and tests you have faced, may your faith remain strong and bring glory and honour to God.