Finding Strength and Joy Through Life's Trials

Devotional

Day 1: Rejoice in a tested, secure living hope.

Because of Jesus’ resurrection, you have been born again into a living hope with an imperishable inheritance, and that secure salvation gives reason for joy even when, for a little while if necessary, you are grieved by various trials; those tests are not signs of God’s absence but His loving commitment to prove your faith genuine and to anchor your rejoicing in Him rather than in circumstances. [47:18]

1 Peter 1:3-9 (ESV)
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, 5 who by God's power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. 6 In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, 7 so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. 8 Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, 9 obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

Reflection: Identify one specific trial you’re facing; will you set a phone reminder for noon today to pause for 60 seconds and thank Jesus out loud for causing you to be born again to a living hope despite that trial?

Day 2: Weakness welcomes Christ’s power into your life.

God meets you in weakness, not after you outgrow it; when you stop pretending you are strong and instead gladly acknowledge your limits, Christ’s power rests on you, enabling contentment amid insults, hardships, persecutions, and difficulties, because grace is sufficient in the very places that hurt. [58:56]

2 Corinthians 12:9-10 (ESV)
But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 10 For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

Reflection: What weakness have you been hiding (e.g., anxiety, impatience, financial strain)? Today, will you bring it into the light by praying 2 Corinthians 12:9 over it and sharing it with one trusted believer so you can ask together for Christ’s power to rest on you?

Day 3: God shields you amid overwhelming opposition.

When pressures multiply and accusations fly, the Lord is your shield, the lifter of your head, answering when you cry, granting rest that anxiety cannot manufacture, and giving courage before “ten thousand enemies,” because salvation and victory belong to Him, not to the threats surrounding you. [45:28]

Psalm 3:1-8 (ESV)
O Lord, how many are my foes! Many are rising against me; 2 many are saying of my soul, “There is no salvation for him in God.” Selah 3 But you, O Lord, are a shield about me, my glory, and the lifter of my head. 4 I cried aloud to the Lord, and he answered me from his holy hill. Selah 5 I lay down and slept; I woke again, for the Lord sustained me. 6 I will not be afraid of many thousands of people who have set themselves against me all around. 7 Arise, O Lord! Save me, O my God! For you strike all my enemies on the cheek; you break the teeth of the wicked. 8 Salvation belongs to the Lord; your blessing be on your people! Selah

Reflection: Before you go to bed tonight, will you read Psalm 3:3–6 aloud, name the situation or person that feels like an “enemy,” and then turn off your devices and entrust your sleep to God as an act of faith?

Day 4: Know resurrection power through sharing Christ’s sufferings.

To truly know Christ and the power of His resurrection, you must walk with Him in the fellowship of His sufferings, embracing costly obedience in a world that will not applaud your allegiance, trusting that meaningful things are difficult and that God uses these hardships to form you for more. [48:30]

Philippians 3:10-11 (ESV)
that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 11 that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead.

Reflection: Choose one small, costly step of obedience you will take today to align with Jesus (e.g., kindly identify yourself as a Christian in a tense conversation, refuse a dishonest shortcut, or serve someone who cannot repay you)—what will it be, and when will you do it?

Day 5: You are never alone—He will not forsake.

You are not forsaken: God promises never to leave you, and He often makes that nearness tangible through His people, so stop wandering alone—ask for help, step into fellowship, and discover in real time that the Lord is your helper and fear loses its grip. [57:49]

Hebrews 13:5-6 (ESV)
Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” 6 So we can confidently say, “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?”

Reflection: By 8 p.m. today, will you text or call one person from our church, share one burden you’re carrying, and ask to pray together for five minutes so you can experience God’s nearness through His people?

Sermon Summary

Peter points us to a rugged, sturdy hope. In Christ we’ve been born again into a living hope and a guarded inheritance that can’t perish, spoil, or fade. That means joy isn’t a mood that fluctuates with headlines or circumstances; it’s the fruit of a salvation no storm can touch. Yet that very security will be tested. Trials are not a detour from the Christian life but part of it—sometimes God uses them to wean us from what can’t hold us and anchor us more deeply in what can.

Tests are temporary and purposeful. “For a little while, if necessary” is not how it feels in the middle of it, but the God who brings us to it will also bring us through it. He is after something precious: faith that’s proven, refined, and deepened. Like gold in the furnace, the heat doesn’t destroy what’s real; it burns away what is not. The result is a life that increasingly resounds in praise, glory, and honor when Jesus is revealed.

This is why meaningful things are hard. Ease rarely produces depth; pressure often reveals the roots. The tests are not for God to discover our quality—He already knows. They’re for us: to see that Christ sustains, to experience that His grace is enough, to learn that weakness is the doorway where His power dwells. Over time, walking with Him through danger, distress, and disappointment grows a love you can’t quite put into words—a joy inexpressible, full of glory.

So we respond. If you’ve never trusted Jesus, let Him take the test you can’t pass—repent and believe. If you belong to Him but you’re tired, don’t walk alone. The same Spirit who dwells in you dwells in your brothers and sisters; bring your weakness into the light and watch His strength meet you there. We are made for more than surviving; we are made to know Him—and often that knowing runs through the valley. When we are weak, then we are strong, because Christ is enough.

Key Takeaways

1. Trials are both temporary and necessary under God’s wisdom. In the furnace, our timeline feels long and the purpose unclear, but Scripture insists that “for a little while, if necessary” is not an accident—it’s design. The God who permits the test is the God who accompanies us through it and teaches us by it. Learning to rest in His necessity frees us from resenting the season and invites us to listen for His voice within it. [47:18] - Meaningful things are difficult, and that difficulty is a clue to calling. When life gets heavy, it doesn’t mean you’ve stepped off God’s path; it may mean you’re right in the center of it. God often assigns weight to what He intends to make weighty through us—character, witness, endurance. Don’t waste hardship; ask what holy meaning God is bringing out of it.
- God’s tests are for our discovery, not His information. He already knows the state of our souls; we’re the ones who need to see what our trust is made of. Trials expose both our props and His sufficiency, moving faith from theory to testimony. The “exam” presses us into the only One who can carry us—and that is how confidence grows.
- Proven faith is more valuable than gold because it survives a hotter fire. Gold perishes; glory does not. When God refines us, He’s burning away attachments and illusions to reveal what death, decay, and disappointment cannot touch. The loss of lesser things often becomes the unveiling of a greater treasure—Christ formed in us.
- Love deepens in the valley, and power is perfected in weakness. Walking with Jesus through what we cannot manage alone produces a joy we can’t quite articulate, but we know it when it sings inside us. Embracing our limits is not failure; it is the place where Christ dwells more fully and His strength becomes visible. Weakness, owned before Him, becomes the doorway to holy resilience. [47:18]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[21:22] - OCC kickoff and mission opportunities
[40:16] - Prayer for uncertain days
[45:28] - Real-life trials we face
[47:18] - “For a little while, if necessary”
[48:30] - Meaningful things are difficult
[50:28] - Why God tests our faith
[51:39] - Faith more precious than gold
[53:51] - Authenticating genuine discipleship
[55:23] - Refining: burning away lesser attachments
[56:16] - Loving Jesus more over time
[57:49] - Joy inexpressible and full of glory
[58:56] - Power perfected in weakness
[60:20] - Knowing Him in suffering
[65:40] - Call to salvation and response

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