1 Peter 4:12
1 Peter 4:12
Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you.
Trials are a natural part of the Christian experience, and Peter encourages believers not to be surprised when they face difficulties. Suffering for the sake of Christ is a shared experience for all believers, but it is not a sign that God has abandoned us. Instead, trials serve to strengthen our faith, purify our hearts, and deepen our dependence on God. This verse calls us to embrace suffering as part of the refining process. It’s a reminder that trials are not "strange" or unexpected, but an essential part of our spiritual journey. Through them, we learn to endure, to trust in God's sovereignty, and to grow in maturity. Suffering becomes an opportunity for God to reveal His grace and to build in us the character of Christ.
Psalms 55:22
Cast thy burden upon the LORD, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved.
Romans 8:28
And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.
1 Peter 5:10
But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you.
Romans 8:18
For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.