Reading: When you truly choose to follow Jesus, God will take you through trials. At the time Peter was writing this, Christians were being persecuted for their faith because it was seen to be in opposition to the government and to the Jewish leadership. God used this challenge in his church to produce a genuineness. 

As a baseball player, you might have gone through this at a smaller scale. How many times have you failed at the plate? How many times have you kicked a ground ball? Or how many times have you missed your spot, pitchers, and have seen your pitch redirected over the left center wall by the batter? Then, how many times have you gotten back up and gone to compete? Probably a lot. This way, we prove that we are willing to do what it takes. 

When you have a bad day in the field and if you really love the game, you get back up. The game of baseball in a lot of ways is like the Christian walk. Thankfully, you may have that parent, coach, or teammate that will pick you up when you do have a bad day, week, or year. 

God reaches out to us when we mess up, yes, but he also takes us through trials for our good. 

When we follow Christ, we may never be persecuted like the early church was, but we do experience some of that same refining fire in other ways. For example, when you do the right thing, even when no one is looking, there is a cost in this life -- you don’t get what you want right now. God is testing us to see if we really will follow him, do the right thing, and will choose him and his ways over our own. He allows us to prove our faith in him. 

Reflection: What is a “trial” that you have gone through? (it can be anything) Did it rock your faith or prove it?

Prayer Prompt: Lord, thank you for the trials -- little or small. What we go through matters to you. I struggle, but I will trust you more that you will take me through the trial and I will come out better on the other side. This scripture today says the refining process will result in praise, glory, and honor. I want to confess to you that my heart wants to blame you and be angry at you for trials . Change my mindset today -- that I will bless you when I go through the trials that you have set before me in this life, because they are for my good.