Daily Devotion: Greater Than Gold

Scripture:
1 Peter 1: 1-7

Main Verse:
1 Peter 1: 6-7
In all 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 the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.

Observation:
Pure gold is soft and malleable, but when you mix it with other metals, it becomes hard and unpliable. It can no longer be called "pure" gold. To make it pure once again, it has to be refined in fire to get rid of all impurities.

Like gold, we also go through the process of refinement. We experience hardships and trials, and the Lord lets us experience them because they help develop our character and build up our faith. It is inevitable. We are destined to experience difficulties, sufferings, and heartbreaks, but this is how God refines our heart.

Application:
Oftentimes, when someone breaks our heart or hurts our feelings, we find it hard to forgive the person who has caused us pain. In John Bevere's #BaitofSatan, he wrote "Often when we are offended, we see ourselves as victims and blame those who have hurt us. We justify all the negative feelings we have as they surface. Sometimes we even resent those who remind us of others who have hurt us." But what does Jesus want us to do? He wants us to buy God's gold, the kind that is pure and pliable, to help us get rid of the impurities: hatred, anger, unforgiveness, resentment. The Lord Jesus also wants us to be honest with ourselves and see our own condition instead of blaming others and defending our hurt egos. And when we find it hard to be forgiving, let us remember that we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us--even forgiving those who have hurt us the most.

Prayer:
Lord, thank you for all the revelations that come from the Holy Spirit's guidance. Thank you for showing me the state of my heart. May I continue to be enlightened by your Word. Expose the true condition of my heart so I can be freed from pride, anger, and resentment. All of these I pray in your Mighty Name. AMEN.