Everything Revealed

In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials.  These have come so that your faith — may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.
-I Peter 1:6-7 NIV
 
This past Sunday we were reminded that trials prove our faith as genuine, just like Peter says here.  He says something else- our faithfulness in trials here results in Jesus getting praise, glory, and honor over there.
 
What is that going to look like?  Well, we can’t know for sure, but I am picturing a VERY large heavenly stadium where things that were unknown become very public, and the crowd goes wild- for Jesus! 
 
Maybe the loudspeaker blares something like this:
 
·  Sandra was mistreated at work for a very long time, but she repaid good for evil and it changed the hearts of many of her coworkers.  And the stands shake with praise to God.
·  Steven faced major financial downturn, but he never fretted, continued to be generous, and lives were changed through the ministries he supported as sacrificially as he could. Fireworks, streamers, and chants of “Jesus, Jesus, Jesus” shake the four corners of heaven.
·  Ben was terribly ill and eventually died way too young, but his spirit and attitude were so amazing that his nurses say he ministered more to them than they did to him. The sound of praise to God Almighty is deafening.
 
God alone provides strength for the journey.  That is why He alone gets the credit and He alone will get the praise.  I want to live my life here so that He gets oodles more praise there.  That is how much I owe him!

By: Pastor Todd Crofford