Life throws us some curve balls. Things happen to us and around us that we only feared in our worst nightmares. We lose people we love. People we trusted injure us and the hard knocks just keep coming one after another. If you have not gone through a season like the one I am describing, then I would suggest you save this devotional in your documents for one day you will need it.

In 1 Peter 1:6-23, Peter provides a plan for when the worst happens. Instead of writing my interpretation of his divine instruction I have simple rewritten his words from my own perspective. Hopefully personalizing this promise and this posture will help you through the worst of days.

I will be truly glad. There is wonderful joy ahead, even though I must endure many trials for a little while. These trials will show that my faith is genuine. My faith is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold—though my faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when my faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring me much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world.

I love Him even though I have never seen Him. Though I do not see Him now, I trust him; and I rejoice with a glorious, inexpressible joy. The reward for trusting Him will be the salvation of my soul.
This salvation was something even the prophets wanted to know more about when they prophesied about this gracious salvation prepared for me. They wondered what time or situation the Spirit of Christ within them was talking about when he told them in advance about Christ’s suffering and his great glory afterward.

They were told that their messages were not for themselves, but for me. And now this Good News has been announced to me by those who preached in the power of the Holy Spirit sent from heaven. It is all so wonderful that even the angels are eagerly watching these things happen.

So I prepare my mind for action and exercise self-control. I put all my hope in the gracious salvation that will come to me when Jesus Christ is revealed to the world. I must live as God’s obedient child. I must not slip back into my old ways of living to satisfy my own desires. I didn’t know any better then. But now I must be holy in everything I do, just as God who chose me is holy. For the Scriptures say, “You must be holy because I am holy.”]

I remember that the heavenly Father to whom I pray has no favorites. He will judge or reward me according to what I do. So I must live in reverent fear of him during my time here as “a temporary resident.” For I know that God paid a ransom to save me from the empty life I inherited from my ancestors. And it was not paid with mere gold or silver, which lose their value. It was the precious blood of Christ, the sinless, spotless Lamb of God. God chose him as my ransom long before the world began, but now in these last days he has been revealed for my sake.

Through Christ I have come to trust in God. And I have placed my faith and hope in God because he raised Christ from the dead and gave him great glory.
I was cleansed from my sins when I obeyed the truth, so now I must show sincere love to each of you as brothers and sisters. I love each of you deeply with all my heart.

For I have been born again, but not to a life that will quickly end. My new life will last forever because it comes from the eternal, living word of God.

Today’s Challenge: Remember that God’s word is not just for someone else. God’s promises are for you and you can find strength when you trust in Him.