Where Our Joy Comes From - I Peter 1:6

I Peter 1:6 – Where Our Joy Comes From

So be truly glad! There is wonderful joy ahead, even though it is necessary for you to endure many trials for a while. (NLT)

In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. (NIV)

This life will have many obstacles to overcome, but because God has promised to be with us, we can look beyond our current circumstance and keep our focus on the prize before us...the Hope of Heaven. That hope is where our joy comes from. (CDC)

I am sure that believers in Christ realize what a privilege we have, knowing that God is watching over us. Also, we truly believe that we have an eternal home in heaven someday. We experience hope in God's provisions and protection here and now, plus we have the assurance that our future is going to be a blessed event, beyond our comprehension. Still, because we are human, there are times that we get discouraged and feel the burden of our pain and sorrow in the trials we go through. God created our emotions...He totally understands our grief. That's why He wants us to read His word, His love letter to us, on a regular basis. His Holy Spirit inspired the authors of each of the 66 books of the Bible to write so that we might gain insight and encouragement from the Word of God.

Peter is specifically writing to encourage believers. He is telling us to remember our trials are only for a season. Comedian Mark Lowry's favorite verse is “And it came to pass.” No matter what we are going through, it will pass. Life has a rhythm to it, just like a heartbeat. There are ups and downs in the pattern. We are sometimes on mountain tops and sometimes in the valley. That's the way God designed the mountains...to have valleys in between. If life was the same every day, we would become bored and discontent. If we read a book where there is no mystery, no dilemma to catch our attention, would we keep reading? No...we want to see how the problems are resolved and how the story turns out. That's the way life is. Only...if we keep the faith...we already know the ending is nothing but good...full of unbelievable blessings and rewards. Our trials are the means by which our faith is strengthened, and they cause us to look forward to Christ's return and our eternal hope...a time when there will be no more sorrow, no more pain, no more grief.

Even when we are going through the valleys, the storms of life, we know deep down inside that as a child of God, He is with us. If we are in a right relationship with Him, we have an inner sense of peace and well-being. There is no reason to stay up at night worrying. God wants us to go to sleep and leave the problem with Him. Our joy is not dependent up on our current circumstances, for we know that God will work all things out in His time. When we compare our current circumstances to our new birth, our living hope, and our inheritance in heaven, we find reason to keep our head up, our eyes focused on Jesus, and moving forward, even if only one baby step at a time.

The pain of failure is one reason we grieve. Peter very well remembers the time when he failed Jesus, and the pain it caused him. On the night Jesus was betrayed in the garden by the kiss of Judas, Peter denied even knowing Him three times. Then the rooster crowed and his eyes met the eyes of Jesus. He knew he had utterly failed his Best Friend. How could he have done such a thing? How could Jesus ever forgive him? He had behaved just as Jesus had said he would, and now here he was...at the bottom. But Peter accepted Christ's forgiveness, and refocused, making his life count for God's Kingdom. We, too, have to let go of the pain of our past, and fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith (Hebrews 12:1-2).

The pain of loss is another reason we grieve. Jesus himself also experienced deep sorrow. At the tomb of His close friend Lazarus, He wept. Tears, which God collects in bottles, is His way of bringing inner healing. Because Jesus felt the same emotions we feel, He promised to be with us to guide us through the maze of sorrow and grief. Peter tells us later on in this letter to “Cast all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you.” (I Peter 5:7) And the Psalmist reminds us that: "Those who sow with tears will reap with songs of joy." (Psalms 126:5) May it be an encouragement to us that God is indeed watching over us! He knows exactly what we are going through, and what our future holds. He wants us to trust Him.  


"God of the Mountain" by Lynda Randal:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V65EPF2S-s0

Introduction - I Peter 1:1

This letter is from Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ. I am writing to God’s chosen people who are living as foreigners in the provinces of Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia.

Following the typical letter writing format of the first century, Peter has identified himself as the author of this epistle, and he tells us to whom he is writing…God’s chosen people in foreign lands. So let’s take a few moments to talk about Peter…who is he?

Peter was one of the original 12 disciples, in fact he was the very first disciple chosen to be a follower of Jesus. He was known as Simon at that time, and his trade was fishing. Let’s read what Mark recorded in his gospel:

One day as Jesus was walking along the shore of the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew throwing a net into the water, for they fished for a living. Jesus called out to them, "Come, follow me, and I will show you how to fish for people!" And they left their nets at once and followed him. (Mark 1:16-18)

When Peter was called by Jesus, he did not hesitate one moment. He didn’t even take time to gather his belongings, or say goodbye to his family…he never once looked back. He simply followed Jesus from the moment Jesus called him. If that sounds like a person of strong faith, keep in mind he didn’t even know Jesus yet.

Peter was a Galilean…a group of people who were known to be adventuresome, ready for anything new. They were also impulsive, and emotional, quick tempered and quick to argue. These traits definitely described Peter. He was the disciple who was quick to speak out, and bold enough to question Jesus. It was his impulsiveness that caused Jesus to rebuke him more than the other disciples.

Even though Peter’s claim that Jesus was the Son of God caused Jesus to change his name from Simon to Peter, meaning "rock", it was this "rock" that also denied his Lord three times, just as Jesus had predicted. Peter’s leadership role was reestablished when Jesus asked him three times if he loved Him, and commanded him to take care of Jesus’ sheep.

We see Peter as the key spokesperson at Pentecost; healing the lame man at the temple; going against the Sanhedrin’s demand that he be silent about Jesus; and reaching out to Cornelius, a Gentile, after it was revealed to Peter that the gospel was universal. Yes, Peter was given a second chance to prove his love for Jesus.

The purpose of this letter is to offer encouragement and hope to Christians in a time of suffering. The Roman civil authorities required believers to make the confession that "Caesar is Lord". Because of their faith in Jesus Christ alone, they were scattered throughout Asia Minor and facing persecution.

In his letter, written about AD 64, Peter reminded his recipients that they could remain victorious in their spirit in spite of the troubles they were facing. No matter what the external circumstances were, their citizenship was in heaven, for salvation is eternal, but this life is only temporary.

Peter felt so unworthy of the grace Jesus had bestowed on him that he requested to be crucified upside down on a cross, rather than in the same manner Jesus died. He was a fellow sufferer, but he was looking to the future. Read his words in I Peter 5:1-4:

And now, a word to you who are elders in the churches. I, too, am an elder and a witness to the sufferings of Christ. And I, too, will share in his glory when he is revealed to the whole world. As a fellow elder, I appeal to you: Care for the flock that God has entrusted to you. Watch over it willingly, not grudgingly—not for what you will get out of it, but because you are eager to serve God. Don’t lord it over the people assigned to your care, but lead them by your own good example. And when the Great Shepherd appears, you will receive a crown of never-ending glory.