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"The Sound of Music" is a classic movie, set in Austria, based on a true story about a family of singers, the Von Trapps, and their escape from Nazi occupation during World War II. I grew up watching that movie as a child. In the movie, Rogers and Hammerstein wrote a short lullaby song entitled “Edelweiss,” which is a song about a flower. The word “edelweiss” means “noble white” in German. In the movie, this song would remind Captain Baron Von Trapp of his beloved Austria. Here are the lyrics:
Edelweiss, edelweiss Every morning you greet me Small and white, clean and bright You look happy to meet me Blossom of snow, may you bloom and grow Bloom and grow forever Edelweiss, edelweiss Bless my homeland forever This flower is native to Austria, but it's also native to Switzerland and different white cap mountains in that area. It's a beautiful white flower that is so pristine, so pure, and so white that it blends in with the snow on top of the mountain, but you've got to go up there to get the flowers. It's so beautiful, so white, that if you pluck that flower and put it into a book to press and hold onto for years and years and years, you'll open it and the whiteness of that flower will remain white and pure. The Nazi occupation began to take over Austria, and here was this Austrian military leader who was then told, "You're going to have to fight for the Nazis." He had fought for his homeland, but he refused to fight for the Nazis in World War II. In the movie, the Von Trapp family singers, sing this final song about this flower, and Captain Von Trapp said that he wanted the audience to remember their homeland forever. It was a song that was intentionally designed to say that the whiteness of the flower should remind you of your homeland. But it also had a double meaning that the whiteness of this flower, which blends into the snow, is so beautiful, so white, so pure, that it can grow in the harshest of winters. It's a year-round flower. No matter what kind of winter you're in, the flower will grow. His intended message in singing this song about a flower was that you can remain Austrian even in the midst of Nazi oppression. His statement in that one song was to say, "Remain loyal to Austria." It was a hidden song intentionally designed to remind them of their real homeland. As Christians living in this world, we should think of ourselves as that pure, white flower, also able to grow in the harshest of winters. Just as that pure white flower blends in with the white snow above, so too, we blend into the whiteness of God Himself above us. Additionally, if that flower is plucked and brought down to mud, rock and grass – it will stand out. You can press that flower into the pages of a book and even after years pass, its whiteness is still radiant. Just as the pure whiteness of that flower stands in contrast to the darkness surrounding it, so too, our purity and holiness should stand out in contrast to the dark world around us. You're still white, pure, and pristine. 1 Peter 1:15–16 (NKJV) – “15but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, 16because it is written, ‘Be holy, for I am holy.’” You and I are to be holy as God is holy. You and I should never be surprised when we have different desires, tastes, ideas, and philosophies that go in the opposite direction of the world around us. Remember, your citizenship is in heaven. You are a Christian who lives in America. You're not an American who's also a Christian. You're a Christian first. Your allegiance is to the Lord Jesus Christ, and secondarily to whatever culture you're living in. Peter was trying to remind those first century believers, "You're in a Roman colony. That Roman colony is in the midst of Asia Minor and it has its values, it has its ideas and its ideals, but yet you are a Christian who's living in that Roman colony. Today, we are the church. We are believers. We are Christ-followers in the midst of a civilization that is growing more and more hostile to our Christian conviction.” “Dear God, I pray that I would allow Your Holy Spirit to lead me to reflect Jesus in a greater way. I pray that I would live a holy life in this world. I pray that I would remain faithful to You, no matter where I live, work or play. In Jesus’ name, Amen.” 1 Peter 1:9-12 reads, “10 Of this salvation the prophets have inquired and searched carefully, who prophesied of the grace that would come to you, 11 searching what, or what manner of time, the Spirit of Christ who was in them was indicating when He testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow. 12 To them it was revealed that, not to themselves, but to us they were ministering the things which now have been reported to you through those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven—things which angels desire to look into.”
No matter what your trial is, it's temporary. Even if you've been dealing with it your whole life, in the grand scheme of eternity, it's just a fleeting moment. I'm not belittling your struggles; they are real. But when you zoom out and see eternity which lies before you, you realize that a thousand years from now, you'll be worshiping around the throne of heaven, and this momentary affliction will be seen as just a blip in the panorama of history. Look at all that God has blessed you with. He has secured your salvation. Realize that no matter what trial you're facing right now, look up and see the eternal salvation that is anchored in Jesus Christ. He's not just meeting your temporary needs; He's securing your eternal destiny. Peter says we have the promised presence of the Spirit in verse 11. The same Spirit who was active in the prophets, and active in the ministry of Jesus is the same Spirit who will aid the believer in the midst of trials. Notice the activity of the Spirit in these verses:
Peter says part of our strength comes from knowing we have this same Holy Spirit in us. Peter also says we have the promised privilege of our salvation in verses 10-12. Notice these verses which speak of a future promised salvation:
Peter makes a powerful statement in verse 8: "Though you have not seen Jesus, you love him." Peter was writing to people who, like us, had never seen Jesus in the flesh. But even though they hadn't seen Him, they loved Him. Jesus said something similar to Thomas in John 20:29 when Thomas doubted His resurrection. Jesus told him, "Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believed." That's us—believers living in the present age. We haven't seen Jesus face to face, but we love Him nonetheless. How is that possible? Because though we can't see Him, we know Him, and we trust Him. We love Him because of who He is and what He has done for us. The days we're living in now—the days when we don't see Jesus face to face but trust Him—are greater than the days when He walked the earth. Jesus Himself said in Matthew 11:11, "He who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than John the Baptist." We may not see Jesus with our physical eyes, but we see Him with the eyes of faith. Just as a parent loves and longs for their unborn child, we love and long for Jesus, even though we haven't seen Him. And we can rejoice because God is at work in our lives, even in the midst of our trials. He's using our struggles to develop our character, to demonstrate our faith to a watching world, and ultimately, to bring glory to Himself. Consider the stories of Joni Erickson Tada, Luther Bridgers, and Fanny Crosby. Notice how each one looked at their suffering from an eternal perspective. Joni Erickson Tada, a quadriplegic, who is paralyzed from the chest down, writes about suffering from a Christian perspective. She regularly displays joy in the midst of suffering. She looks forward to heaven. She once told Larry King that she would like to tell Jesus in heaven about the wheelchair that she has been bound in. "The weaker I was in [that wheelchair], the harder I leaned on You. The harder I leaned on You, the stronger I discovered You to be. Thank You." Fanny Crosby, the writer of thousands of hymns including "Blessed Assurance", who understood that a faulty medical practice had blinded her as a baby, made this statement as an adult: "It seemed intended by the blessed providence of God that I should be blind all my life, and I thank him for the dispensation. If perfect earthly sight were offered me tomorrow I would not accept it. I might not have sung hymns to the praise of God if I had been distracted by the beautiful and interesting things about me." Her perspective allowed her to write so many songs to God in gratitude. Luther Bridgers composed a hymn soon after hearing of the death of his wife and three children in a fire. It is said that Luther Bridgers had left his children and wife in the care of his father-in-law while he was away ministering the gospel at a conference in Kentucky. It was while he was there that he received a phone call telling him of the demise of his wife and all his three children in a fire that burnt down his father-in-law's house. With tears in his eyes, he expressed his faith in the Lord by penning the words of this hymn: There’s within my heart a melody, Jesus whispers sweet and low, Fear not, I am with thee, peace be still Through all of life’s ebb and flow. Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Sweetest Name I know, Fills my every longing, keeps me singing as I go. The Lord kept each one focusing on how He was at work, using the trial for their good and His ultimate glory. So, no matter what you're going through, keep your eyes fixed on Jesus. Remember that your trial is temporary, but your salvation is eternal. "Father, I pray when I am experiencing the trials of life that I will remember the testimonies of godly saints who have suffered well. May their stories encourage me. I pray that I remember that I have Your Holy Spirit within me. No matter how difficult today is, I rejoice in a future salvation promised in heaven with You. In Jesus’ name, Amen.” If you have never asked Jesus to be your Lord and Savior, pray something like this: “Dear God, I know that I’m a sinner, but You love me. You sent Jesus to pay for my sins on the cross so that I could be called one of Your children. I ask You now to come into my heart and life. I call You my Lord and my Savior. May I never be ashamed of You. I love You. In Jesus’ name, Amen.” If you prayed that prayer, please go to http://www.joshfranklin.org/books.html and freely download the ebook “Starting Strong,” and email josh@doveministries.org to let me know. I want to pray for you and provide resources that will help you in your walk with God. God bless. 1 Peter 1:8 says, “Whom having not seen you love. Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory.”
He's not really just talking about persecution. He could have used a different word for that. He's really talking about general trials, general tests, and general struggles. Persecution is certainly a part of that. Peter is writing to believers who have experienced difficulties in life and he says, "Rejoice with joy, inexpressible, full of glory." Why? Toward the end of verse seven, Peter says, "Though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory…” Whose praise, honor, and glory? We might think it is referring to God, but it’s not. He is saying our praise, our glory, and our honor. It's really saying that we've been approved, which is the testing of our faith. We have passed the test. Now we're rejoicing because we have passed the test, knowing that God was allowing us to go through it; there was something going on in our life to develop us. Consider these five facts about trials [1]:
Psalm 119:71 says, "It was good for me that I have been afflicted that I may learn Your statutes.” Is there something that happens in the life of a believer that develops them to the point where God would say He can bring about this no other way? There are some things that you and I have to go through that lead to the development of our faith or prove the genuineness of our faith. Bob Russell described [2] how one of his members was working in the burn unit of a children's hospital and was given the assignment to scrub with a brillow-like brush the badly burned arms of an 18-month-old child who was screaming in pain. This brush would scrub all of the dead tissue away from his arm so the skin would heal properly. She thought, "I cannot inflict that kind of pain on a child that is already hurting." But then the doctor showed her a picture of another burn victim who was now an adult, whose arm was so scarred, and the skin was so stiff, it had shriveled up and the arm had no movement. She learned that no matter how painful that scrubbing process would be, it was essential for the skin to become supple in the end and that the child would have proper movement of her arms. So she was willing to inflict that pain temporarily and even endure the hateful protest of the child so that years later the child would be mobile and thankful. The Great Physician sometimes allows us to endure excruciating pain but only that which is helpful for our spiritual health and eternal benefit. Russell then made this pointed remark, “How long will we be in the fire? That goldsmith, looking at the gold in the fire, has eyes on the gold. He's got his hand on the thermostat and he's very careful. He'll never put too much fire on you. He'll never put the fire to the point that it will harm your faith but rather that it will purify your faith. You ask, ‘Preacher, how does the goldsmith know when its time to take the gold out of the fire?’ When the goldsmith sees his own reflection in the gold, he knows that it's time to take the gold out of the fire.” [3] David Helm writes, “Understanding that God’s purposes for us include various trials is important, for by them we are tempered. The extracts of this world are removed from us, and we are made fit for Heaven. A simple bar of iron ore, pulled from the earth, might be worth $5.00. However, that same bar, when made into horseshoes, would be worth $10.50. If the owner decided to make the bar into needles for sewing, it could be worth as much as $3,285. And if he turned it into springs for watches, its value could jump as high as $250,000. What made the difference? Simply the amount of heat by which the iron bar was tempered and honed.” [4] Warren Wiersbe once wrote about trials: "When God permits His children to go through the furnace, He keeps His eye on the clock and His hand on the thermostat." He controls the longevity and the intensity. I think of Joseph, who struggled for 12 years. He tells his brothers, “I’ve had this dream where you guys are going to bow down to me. I don’t understand it.” The brothers got jealous, threw him into a well, and sold him into slavery. He gets wrongly accused of hurting Potiphar's wife and gets sent to prison. Then the inmates say they're going to remember him when they get out of prison. They don't remember him. He's just stuck there, and the Bible says the Lord was with him. When he finally gets out, he's allowed to go before the Pharaoh and tell the meaning of Pharaoh’s dream. He gets basically positioned as second in command over this food distribution program that not only saves Egypt but also saves his own people. Finally, the moment comes when the brothers, who have been seeking help from Egypt, realize they are standing before Joseph. Joseph has revealed himself. He rescues his brothers’ families, including his own father, Jacob. However, once Jacob dies of old age, the brothers think Joseph will take revenge upon them for what they did years before which led Joseph through years of suffering. As Joseph recounts the events of his life with his brothers, he says in Genesis 50:20, "What you meant for evil, God meant for good, that he could save his people through me." He says, "God has used me. God has used that suffering that I didn't understand. For 12 years, I suffered in either slavery, mistreatment, or even in prison so that I could secure my own family through this food distribution program. You meant it for evil, but God meant it for good." These trials are developing something in us or doing something for us. God is using these trials to demonstrate the genuineness of our faith. There is a demonstration that can only be seen in the trials. Anyone can say they trust God in the good times. The book of Job recounts all of the suffering that Job endured. However, in the first chapter, Satan’s accusation is that Job serves and worships God because God has made him healthy, wealthy, and protected. God had blessed Job beyond measure. He was one of the richest person’s in the known world. Satan told God that if He would take all of those blessings away, Job would curse God to His face. As Job suffered throughout the book, the genuineness of his faith was demonstrated - not in the good times but in the difficult times. Sometimes those trials are allowed in order to develop something in us. Sometimes those trials are allowed to demonstrate something in us. Either way, God is going to use those trials in our lives, if we allow Him. "Father, when I am in the fire, help me remember that You have Your hand on the thermostat and Your eyes on the clock. I pray that my faith that is being tested will be stronger after this trial is over. In the meantime, I trust You. In Jesus’ name, Amen.” [1] Based upon the observations found in Charles R. Swindoll, Insights on James, 1 & 2 Peter, vol. 13, Swindoll’s Living Insights New Testament Commentary (Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., 2014), 159. [2] Bob Russell, “A Reason to Hope,” (Finding Your Way in a “Whatever” World), audio, 8/15/2004. [3] Ibid. [4] David R. Helm, 1 & 2 Peter and Jude: Sharing Christ’s Sufferings, Preaching the Word (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books, 2008), 42. There are several different philosophies that people have when difficulties come. One philosophy is to deny its existence. At times, you can turn on Christian television and see this promoted. This idea is that if you're a Christian, you're never going to have to go through any down days. You're never going to have to go through any difficulties. The Bible does not teach that. Paul describes that he had to endure his own “thorn in the flesh” in 2 Corinthians 12:7-10. We don't know what that thorn was. It could have been a persecutor. After Paul taught the simple gospel message, Judaizers would come along and say, "You can accept Jesus, but you also must abide by Jewish traditions, customs, and laws." That could have been Paul’s thorn in the flesh. It could have been a physical malady or problem of some kind. Galatians 4:15 says, “…if possible, you would have plucked out your own eyes and given them to me.” Galatians 6:11 says, “See with what large letters I have written to you with my own hand!” Most scholars see this as describing an eyesight problem. It could have been a demonic attack. He calls it a messenger of satan sent to buffet him. We don't know what the thorn was, but he said that God allowed this thorn in the flesh in my life because he was being puffed up beyond measure (2 Corinthians 12:7). Paul said, “I had been given revelations and visions of the world to come. I had been given these incredible truths, many of them that we've read through as a body of Christ together. And in order that I would not be elevated or puffed up with pride, I was given this thorn in the flesh.” Three times, Paul would say, "Please remove this thorn, deliver me from this thorn," and three times, God would reply, "My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in your weakness." Paul would respond by saying that in his weakness, the power of God is made more evident. Christians also face challenges and hardships in life. They go through dark times too. In 1 Peter 1:6, Peter says, “In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials.” The “this” he is talking about refers to the previous section that underscores all of the blessings that Christians enjoy. Peter acknowledges that the trials that Christians go through are real and can cause grief and pain. As Christians, we should not pretend that these trials don't exist or that we will never experience them. However, he reminds us that we have a promised inheritance in glory, which we should greatly rejoice in, even if we are facing various trials at the moment. We need to understand that trials are difficult, and they can be heavy and painful. We should not deny their reality. There's another philosophy out there that says, "Well, I'm just going to take it on the chin. I'm going to grin and bear it. I'm going to endure this difficult time." There's another that would say, “I'm just going to throw up my hands and resign. It's going to happen anyways.” However, Peter is trying to promote a unique quality in the life of a Christian in this passage. He reminds us that we are blessed beyond measure, far wealthier than we realize, and we should greatly rejoice. Even if we are experiencing a season of heaviness and distress due to various trials, we should experience joy because we are abundantly blessed. The distinctive Christian quality is that Christians experience joy in the midst of trials. James 1:2-3 says, "Count it all joy, my brethren when you fall into divers temptations, testings, and trials, for we know that it's working endurance in our life,” that is, it's perfecting us. It's doing something for us. You may ask, “How am I supposed to be happy in the midst of difficulties?” In The Law of Happiness, psychologist Dr. Henry Cloud (co-author of Boundaries) makes the case that most people are pushing the wrong buttons in their search for happiness. He said we fall prey to thinking things like:
He writes this philosophy is a path to unsustainable happiness for three reasons:
He cites his research that people's happiness is mathematically made up in this way:
His idea is that if you continue to pursue career advancement or earning more money, if you continue to pursue things of this life, the toys of this world, then you're not pursuing the things that really will bring satisfaction and contentment. He says happy people spend their time and energy building relationships with the people that they love instead of chasing after things. Well, it's hard to do both, so why are we chasing after things that would make us temporarily happy? That would give us kind of an emotional buzz, but not really secure lasting happiness. I think Dr. Cloud uses the word “happiness” because that is what people are looking for. However, I think the word I would use is “joy” rather than “happiness”. Happiness is really based on what happens to us. It's circumstantial, and the child of God is promised something far greater than happiness. The child of God has been promised joy. Peter says in this passage, "you greatly rejoice." That's the same word. Joy is not based on what happens. It is something internal that doesn't matter what circumstances come our way. He says that you can experience joy even in the midst of difficult times because you recognize something is going on that maybe you didn't know before. You recognize that this pain is for a season, but there's something on the other end of that pain that you can rejoice about. For instance, Lydia and I have three sons. With each one, there were nine months in the womb and then the labor pains. She could go through the labor pains, understanding that precious baby is going to be delivered. The pain is momentary, but the joy is lasting. So you can get through the difficulties because of what's to come on the other side. You know this is not going to be forever. This is going to be momentary. "Father, help me long for Your joy, no matter what I’m facing. Help me face today’s challenges remembering that I am abundantly blessed. Help me invest my time in things that promote joy and not just happiness. I pray that my ability to lean on You during difficult times will be a testimony to others and point people to You. In Jesus’ name, Amen.” Isaiah 64:8 says, “But now, O LORD, You are our Father; We are the clay, and You our potter; And all we are the work of Your hand.”
Isaiah 45:9 says, “…Shall the clay say to him who forms it, ‘What are you making?’ …” Jeremiah 18:6 says, "O house of Israel, can I not do with you as this potter does?" declares the LORD. "Like clay in the hand of the potter, so are you in my hand, O house of Israel." A couple that was shopping in an antique shop, when they saw this beautiful little teacup that was so unique, and they just said, "Well, we've just got to have this little teacup. It's so special and unique." And as they were getting ready to grab the teacup, the teacup spoke out and said, "Hey." They were a little shocked, and they started listening to this teacup talk. The teacup said, "I haven't always been this valuable. I haven't always been this precious." It said, "I remember when I was a lump of clay, and the potter began to mold me and squeeze me and push me and develop me. And I thought, this is uncomfortable, this hurts. I don't like this. You need to stop doing this." The potter said, "Not yet." Since the teacup was formed, it thought, "Well, okay, now it's over," but no. Then the potter put it in the oven and turned up the heat. The teacup was screaming from the inside, saying, "This is hot! This hurts. I don't like this! Get me out of here!” And the potter looked in and said, "Not yet." So, finally, the potter took the teacup and set it on a shelf to cool. The teacup thought, "Okay, finally it's over." But then the potter took some glaze and some brushes and began to paint it with this mixture that was suffocating. The teacup told the couple, “I couldn't breathe, and I didn't like it. It was sticky, and I said, ‘Stop it!’ And the potter told me, ‘Not yet.’ Then he put me in another oven twice as hot as the first oven, and I thought, ‘I'm exhausted. I can't handle any more heat.’” Finally, the potter took the teacup, set it on the shelf, and said, “Now it is finished." The teacup told the couple, "What I thought was hurting me was, in the long run, making me valuable.” This teacup had become so precious and unique that a couple wanted to buy it. [1] 1 Peter 1:7 says, “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, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ.” Peter helps us understand the trials of our faith. The trials and tests that come our way are not random or purposeless, but similar to a furnace, heating and refining us like gold. When gold is heated, the impurities are brought to the surface and scraped off until the refiner can see his reflection in the gold. Similarly, God allows us to go through intense times to refine us and mold us into the image of His Son, Jesus Christ. Our purpose in life is not just to endure these trials, but to use them as opportunities to become more like Jesus every day. This is what Paul meant in Romans 8:29 when he said that God predestined us to become conformed to the image of His Son. "Father, today I yield to You as the Potter. I am the clay. I believe You are working on me, removing impurities from my life. I ask You to help me keep this perspective when I don’t understand why the heat has been turned up in my life. I trust You, Lord. In Jesus’ name, Amen.” [1] From various sources, one of which is http://positivetheresa.blogspot.com/2011/01/just-old-lump-of-clay.html |
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