Thoughts from daily Bible reading for today – August 6, 2019
Dear friends, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that has come on you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. 1 Peter 4:12
Over the years, I’ve received numerous emails from readers who have shared that they were serving God and doing His will, but something happened that caused them to suffer greatly. As a result, they were discouraged and wondered how life could be going so wrong when they were doing what was right.
There are times in all of our lives when we suffer even though we have done God’s will, and sometimes because we have done God’s will. Even though we have done our best to serve God, like Jesus who suffered without doing wrong, we suffer too.
1 Peter 4:19 provides some helpful and hopeful words for these times.
“Therefore, let those who suffer according to God’s will and entrust their souls to a faithful Creator while doing good.”
According to this scripture, there are two things that will help when you suffer even though you have done God’s will.
First, entrust your soul to God.
To entrust your soul—or your mind, will, and emotions–to your faithful Creator when you have suffered even though you have done God’s will includes:
Entrusting one’s soul to a faithful Creator means that in those moments when suffering causes you to forget God’s beauty or His love, and you can’t sense His presence, you choose to trust Him, even when you don’t understand what is happening.
Next, keep doing good.
A natural inclination when you suffer even though you have done God’s will, and you have been doing good, may be to stop doing good. You may want to self-protect, shut down, give up, or pay others back. But entrusting your soul to God by choosing to believe that He sees and knows, that He will be faithful, that He loves you, and that He is working all things for your good and His glory, will help you to continue to do good when you just don’t feel like it.
The difficult truth is that the Lord hasn’t promised anyone that life will be without struggle. He hasn’t promised that when we follow His way that life will be easy. But He has promised that no matter what happens, He will be with us.
“For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:38-39).
Prayer
Lord, please help me to press into you and entrust my soul to you when life is difficult. I know that even though I can’t see the answers now, that the answers are coming. I praise you for that. Amen.
Application
Are you going through a trial? Based on what you read above, how are you doing entrusting your soul to the Lord and continuing to do good? Talk with Him about what you read today.
Related Reading
Psalm 37:5; 1 Peter 1:6-7; 1 Peter 5:9
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Remain faithful, God loves you. He is working all things for your good and His glory. #WisdomHunters # #Jesus #trust
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I am encouraged by today’s devotional more-so because I am at a low point in my life, having a feeling of hopelessness and despair. Shana you always give practical advice from the word of God and so I am always blessed by the devotionals you write. Never stop writing I can feel my strength and faith being renewed. May God bless you.