Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade - kept in heaven for you.
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 - of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire - may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.
- 1 Peter 1:3-4, 6-7
And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.
- Romans 5:2-5
Lord, give me this living hope. Even when I have to face suffering and difficult times, help me to keep this heavenly perspective. May I always remember that you don't allow me to go through suffering without using it to develop character and faith, and to bring honor and glory to you. Help me to be a person that rejoices in trials of many kinds because I know you are changing me to be more like you. Not that the trials and sufferings are good in themselves. But that you are greater than any trial Satan might put into my life - you can bring good out of what was planned for evil.
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