Written by Michael Wilson

Throughout our lives, we are struck with trials of all kinds—death, illness, broken relationships, breakdowns, conflict, and a world that seems to be unraveling at the seams. How are we to make sense of all of this? What questions flood our minds as we witness tragedy and experience great difficulty?

We know this isn’t the way it’s supposed to be, right? “This can’t be it,” we think to ourselves. How can God still be good in this? Is he even listening to our prayers? 

The Christians in the first century understood trials and suffering. Peter, in his first epistle, helped them make sense of their trials. He says that even though you are going through trials of all kind, we still rejoice. Rejoice? Rejoice in what? Rejoice in what we have in Christ: a new life, a living and long-awaited Savior, protection by God, and an inheritance that is incorruptible. 

Peter himself knows from experience that in order to get through trials and fears, our focus must be on Christ and the blessings we have in him. He wasn’t immune to persecution. Furthermore, he even pictures perfectly what happens when we take our gaze off Christ. Remember when Jesus is walking on water and Peter goes out on the water as well? Why does Peter fall in the water? He fell in because he let the fear of the waves grip him; he looked away from Jesus. Likewise, when we experience trials, we want to focus on them and take our eyes off our hope. When we do that, fears are heightened, our faith is shaken, and doubts take over.

What must we do? Peter is telling them to remember what is most true: the timeless truth of the Gospel. Remember that God is the Lord Almighty (Psalm 46), suffering isn’t pointless (Peter says our faith gets tested; Paul says God works all things for our good), and it’s only temporary (Paul says to focus on what is eternal and unchanging in II Cor. 4:16-18). But most importantly, we must cling to the promises of God, the One who cannot lie. The author of Lamentations is left wondering if God has abandoned his people; but in fact, the author recounts, YHWH will be faithful to the promises he made to the fathers. One remembers what John heard in the Apocalypse, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and He will dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be among them, and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away” (Rev. 21:3-4).

Even through all of our suffering and trials, we are reminded of the precious truths and promises of God. I think of the great Christmas Carol (yes, it’s always Christmas season), O Come, O Come, Emmanuel:

O come, O come, Immanuel,
and ransom captive Israel
that mourns in lonely exile here
until the Son of God appear.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Immanuel
shall come to you, O Israel.

Rejoice! Christ has come once and is coming again to restore all things and wipe away every tear from our eyes. Let us not grow weary in doing good, for our King is coming (Gal. 6:9).