Don’t Be Surprised
Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you; but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ's sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy. If you are reproached for the name of Christ, blessed are you, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. (1 Peter 4:12-14) We tend to think we are doing well spiritually when things are going well, but that may not be true. God often employs hard lessons to get what He's after in us. Trouble has a way of bringing our attention to things lying just beneath the surface of our complacency, so He uses them to get our attention and retrain our focus. Material blessings never draw us closer to God; but we learn to walk with Christ through the hardships He allows, and we enter into true fellowship with Him through the things we suffer. Even Jesus learned obedience by the things He suffered (Hebrews 5:...