Joy Unspeakable – 1 Peter 1
‘Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory:’ — 1 Peter 1:8
The people Peter wrote to were under great pressure. They were scattered (v.1), in heaviness through many trials (v.6), and their faith was being tried like gold in the fire (v.7).
But they could look forward to the appearing of Jesus Christ (v.7). Those who are born again through faith in Christ and His resurrection have a hope that is alive (v.3). This hope of Christ’s return is an inheritance that will never fade (v.4). It sustains us through the darkest of valleys and the hardest of trials.
We may have never seen Christ, but we love Him. And, though we do not see Him, we still believe in Him and rejoice with unspeakable joy and full glory because of who He is and what He has done (v.8).
So, here are some questions for us to consider:
- As you face trials and trouble, do you look to the Lord and His return to comfort you?
- Do you love the Lord, even though you have never seen Him?
- Do His presence and your relationship with Him, though based on faith and not sight, fill you with unspeakable joy and full of glory?
Amazingly, it seems that the more people are tried the more they love the Lord and find their joy in Him. May that be the case in our lives as well!