More precious than gold

In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honour, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ, - 1 Peter 1.6-7

Trials rarely seem precious in the moment. This is especially true of those earth shattering, life changing, punch in the gut kind of trials that seemingly come out of nowhere and knock us flat. 

We have seen some of those through the years. We all have. Some are worse than others, but all of our trial are trials in our lives. ‘Joyous’ is hardly the word that we use easily to describe these trials. We, or at least I, tend to use words like discouraging, depressing, crushing, hard, and terrible. 

This is an area where our faith is tested. God says that when our faith is tried it proves the reality of our faith. They are more precious than gold that is purified through fire. One day, when we see Jesus, they will be found as praise and honour and glory. 

It reminds me of Paul when he wrote that at then end of his trials he would ‘come forth as gold.’ The reality is that everyone suffers. We live in a broken world full of broken people. Those who have faith suffer the same results of brokenness as those who have no faith. When our faith is real and genuine if gives us hope to cling on to during trials. If I couldn’t trust that there is a God who loves me and cares for me I don’t think I could endure some of these trials. I certainly could not have any faith in me. It is all about our hope – and our hope is in the Lord. That hope is far more precious than hoping in the gold we can't take with us.