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The Glorious Fruits of Trial, September 28
That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold
that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto
praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ.
1
Peter 1:7
.
Let us believe in Jesus, trusting Him implicitly, although we may be
tried as by fire.... We may love Christ more and increase our capacity for
loving Him by contemplating and talking of His love. Cultivate the habit
of talking with the Saviour when alone, when walking and working. Let
gratitude and thanksgiving ascend to God because Jesus loves you and you
love Jesus....
The Lord Jesus gave Himself a sacrifice for us. He knows us and He
knows just what we need. Trial lasts only for a season. Encourage your
heart in faith. We must not look on trial as punishment. Christ is the sin
bearer. He is our Redeemer, and He desires to purify us from all dross.
He means to make us partakers of the divine nature, developing in us the
peaceable fruits of righteousness. The very fact that we are called upon to
endure trials proves that the Lord Jesus sees in us something very precious
that He would have developed. If He saw nothing in us whereby we might
glorify His name He would not spend time refining us. We do not take
special pains to prune brambles. Christ does not cast valueless stones into
His furnace. It is precious ore that He tests. He sees that the refining process
will bring out the reflection of His own image. Be trustful, be hopeful, be
strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. He loves you. Hear His
words: “As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten” (
Revelation 3:19
). He
has not passed you by as unworthy of a trial.
What is the result of this refining process? That ye may “be found
unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ.” O how
precious to the soul is one word of commendation that comes from the
Redeemer’s lips! We may not understand all now, but the day is coming
when we shall be more than satisfied, when we shall see as we are seen, and
realize that trial has wrought out for us a far more exceeding and eternal
weight of glory
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37
Letter 113, 1898
.
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