Winter Is Here!

I was beginning to think we were going to by-pass winter this year, but unfortunately I was wrong. Winter did come late, and for that I am very grateful. However, in the last few days, it's been blisteringly cold outside. I had to go out yesterday to buy some groceries, and I wished I'd stayed home. When I came back home, I was so chilled that I immediately went upstairs to have a hot bath.

I know I shouldn't complain. It's the middle of January and the winter season is almost over. Up till now, we've been blessed with mild temperatures and hardly any snow. I guess I was feeling spoiled. It's funny how we can be spoiled so easily.

The Bible says God doesn't spoil His children here on earth. We are told that we will go through trials and difficult times while we live here on earth, so that our faith in God can be tested to see if it is genuine.

"So be truly glad. There is wonderful joy ahead,

even though you have to endure many trials for a little while.

These trials will show that your faith is genuine.

It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold —

though your faith is far more precious than mere gold.

So when your faith remains strong through many trials,

 it will bring you much praise and glory and honour

on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world."

1 Peter 1:6-7 (NLT)

If our faith in God remains strong through the trials, then much praise, glory, and honour will be brought to the Name of Jesus.

Our faith in God is much more precious than gold, so don't allow any bad that may happen to you here on earth to take away your faith in God.

It saddens me greatly when I recall how many people I've known personally — relatives, friends, Bible College graduates/students, and pastors — who once served God, but do no longer. Most of them turned their backs on God when they went through a terrible ordeal, like a divorce, the early death of a loved one, a financial crisis, a church split, a debilitating illness, and so on.

Always keep your faith in God strong because the end reward will be worth it. One day, God is going to spoil us forever, and there will be no more trials or tribulations.