Praise Focus-God’s Refining Process

JOHN SHIRK – Today’s Praise Focus comes from First Peter 1, verses 6 and 7.

“In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith-of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire-may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.”

Charles Stanley has described adversity as God’s most effective tool for the advancement of our spiritual lives. There is value in the trials of our lives to grow stronger in our reliance on Christ. Character is built as we identify with the sufferings of Christ. No one said it would be easy, but hard times do have a purpose for the follower of Jesus. He allows us to go through the fire of adversity so that our faith might genuinely reflect God’s glory as a radiant witness for Jesus.

God’s refining process to purify our faith is a reason to praise Him in the Year of Focus.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com