Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal among you, which comes upon you for your testing, as though some strange thing were happening to you; but to the degree that you share the sufferings of Christ, keep on rejoicing, so that also at the revelation of His glory you may rejoice with exultation. If you are reviled for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you …. Therefore, those also who suffer according to the will of God shall entrust their souls to a faithful Creator in doing what is right. 1 Peter 4:12-14, 19
Today's thoughts from today's verses:
What a great way to finish our week, with such a great Scripture with all its great words. We should not be surprised by suffering but rather we should rejoice that we are sharing in the sufferings of Christ. This should be our expectation. Wrong expectations bring wrong reactions. We are blessed when we suffer as agents of redemption because of the opposition we face. It means that the Spirit of glory and of God rest on us and has caused our lives to touch the world with the impact of the gospel in the unfolding of “The Kingdom Plan of God.” This is why we are here: to live fully for God by being a full recipient and agent of redemption no matter what.
Today's prayer response from today's thoughts:
Lord, I see that your Word consistently declares that discipleship is about giving up my claim for how I will live my life and embracing your claim on my life and how you want me to live. I admit that this is tough, but I do want it to happen. Make me a full recipient and agent of redemption. When opposition comes and I suffer according to your will in the advancement of your kingdom, grant that I will always straight away entrust my soul to my faithful Creator in doing what is right. Amen!
