1 Peter 1:3-9 Praise the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! God has given us a new birth because of his great mercy. We have been born into a new life that has a confidence which is alive because Jesus Christ has come back to life. We have been born into a new life which has an inheritance that can’t be destroyed or corrupted and can’t fade away. That inheritance is kept in heaven for you, since you are guarded by God’s power through faith for a salvation that is ready to be revealed at the end of time. You are extremely happy about these things, even though you have to suffer different kinds of trouble for a little while now. The purpose of these troubles is to test your faith as fire tests how genuine gold is. Your faith is more precious than gold, and by passing the test, it gives praise, glory, and honor to God. This will happen when Jesus Christ appears again. Although you have never seen Christ, you love him. You don’t see him now, but you believe in him. You are extremely happy with joy and praise that can hardly be expressed in words as you obtain the salvation that is the goal of your faith.

“…you have to suffer different kinds of trouble for a little while now…”

We have seen all kinds of tragedies in our lives. Wars. School shootings. Planes flown into buildings. Other buildings bombed. Covid-19, West Nile Virus, anthrax scares, cancer,  heart attacks, car crashes … the list goes on and on.

Some catch phrases the media likes to use after a significant tragedy is “This changes everything” and “our world will never be the same.” While not diminishing the impact of any tragedy, life here on earth is always about change.

But as followers of Jesus, we cling to the one that will never change.

Hebrews 13:8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.

No matter the troubles that come into your life, you are no less a loved child of God. The death of Jesus Christ has made full payment for the sins of all people. The cleansing from sin that you received in your Baptism does not disappear. Your faith and confidence in God should not change, either.

“We have been born into a new life which has an inheritance that can’t be destroyed or corrupted and can’t fade away. That inheritance is kept in heaven for you, since you are guarded by God’s power through faith for a salvation that is ready to be revealed at the end of time.”

We will have trouble in this world. Peter wrote these words to people who were suffering all kinds of trials. His reminder to them was that God’s love for them in Christ does not change, no matter what may happen to them here on earth. And that love will be fully known when we join our Lord in the place He has prepared for us. This confidence is ours because we know that Jesus Christ is risen from the dead.