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Date: | Mon, 15 May 2006 17:43:17 -0400 |
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Precious Faith
1 Peter 1:3-7
Our tested faith is more precious than perishable gold. The more coins
we spend, the fewer we have, but our assurance in God never runs out as
we use it.
Men are often impoverished by the quest for gold, but faith can only
enrich a person. And while money may temporarily appease one's greed,
trust in Jesus
forever satisfies the soul.
Gold doesn't begin its life as the pure, shiny material we see in
jewelry. Instead, miners drag out hunks of dirty metal with bits of
black running throughout.
Before a piece of gold can become a beautiful necklace or a perfectly
shaped coin, it must be refined by fire and crafted with tools. In the
same way,
God sends trials into Christians' lives to shape His children. His
ultimate goal is to transform each believer into the likeness of Jesus
Christ.
God uses many tools in His transforming work-disappointment, broken
relationships, illness, and financial problems are a few. He always
chooses the device
that will build our faith in the area He is focused upon. Unlike
inanimate gold, we have a choice to accept or reject His work. We can
whine, resist, and
give up without making any changes. But let this be fair warning: God
will return repeatedly to a faith area that needs His attention until we
finally
submit. He loves us too much to leave us in our imperfect condition.
Our faith is precious to God. Though His work is sometimes painful, He
will never challenge us beyond what we can stand. (1 Corinthians 10:13)
And through
the refining fire and shaping process, the Master Craftsman holds us
closely
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