1 Peter
1:3-9
Faith is
not fact. Our belief in the
resurrection of Jesus comes
from our trust in the promises
of God and the faith of those
we love. We call it faith and
not fact because it is an
assurance that comes from deep
within our souls. Faith comes
with a confidence that the God
who made us in goodness has
destined us for eternal
goodness.
There
are times, though, when our
faith is tested. We undergo
trials that make us question
the goodness of the world and
the Creator who made it. We
want to believe in Jesus, and
yet we do not have the
advantage of the first
disciples who saw him, heard
him and touched him. Our belief
is different from theirs, and
it faces challenges they did
not know.
The
first letter of Peter says,
“You may have to suffer through
various trails, so that the
genuineness of your faith . . .
may prove to be for praise.”
Gold is precious, but it is
perishable when tested by fire.
Faith is more precious than
gold. When tested by fire it
only grows stronger.
Our
faith may feel weak at times,
but those are times for
testing. God is present to us,
arms filled with promises,
ready to steady our vision and
shore up our hope. Faith is not
fact. It is faith. It struggles
deep within the soul, and it
survives. It is tested only
that it might grow stronger.
