A devotional by Cherie Mendez
“So if you are suffering in a manner that pleases God, keep on doing what is right, and trust your lives to the God who created you, for he will never fail you.”
—1 Peter 4:19 (NLT)
Since August of 2020, my husband and I moved six times. We lost a parent to cancer, suffered the loss of a job, lost our home, and lost some of our most precious belongings during our last move.
Once the COVID pandemic hit our world, we left New York City (NYC) for North Carolina. January of 2022, my husband got a job in upstate New York and because of that we moved back to the Northeast Coast of the USA. In the Fall of 2022, my husband’s father passed away and his mother who was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, was left living alone in her NYC apartment. The family had to step in and help with her caregiving because due to her condition, she couldn’t live alone. At that point, my husband and I made a decision to sacrifice our home and his job in order to move in and take care of my mother-in-law.
Looking back, I now see that helping our family was the right thing to do. But leaving a good job and home in order to do it was probably not a wise choice. Essentially, we may have done the right thing the wrong way. Once the family was able to secure my mother-in-law with a good nurse, my husband got a new job and we moved into a great apartment. Sadly, he lost his job and that forced us into financial hardship. To add insult to injury, the company we hired to help us move lost most of our belongings.
It’s fair to say that some trials are the result of our own bad decisions, but if we suffer because of our loyalty to Christ, The Holy Bible tells us to expect “fiery trials.” 1 Peter 4:12 (NLT) says, “Dear Friends, don’t be surprised by the fiery trials you are going through, as if something strange were happening to you.” The “fire” referred to in this Bible verse represents the intensity and pain of the trial, while “trials” signify the refining process. Trials are meant to test the genuineness of our faith.
These trials are never meant to destroy or defeat us, but to deepen our relationship with Jesus Christ and prepare us for what He has in the future.
Here are five things to remember when going through a trial:
1. Expect Suffering. 1 Peter 4:12 (NLT) tells us to not be surprised when trials come. Persecution and suffering for Christ should not be viewed as abnormal. We live in a fallen world.
2. God will keep you. 1 Peter 4:19 (NLT) says that God will never fail us. His grace is sufficient for us no matter how hard things get. We can trust Him for our deliverance.
3. Suffering deepens our faith. 1 Peter 4:13 (NLT) says to be glad when we suffer because these trials will make us partners with Christ in his suffering. It may take careful thought or wise counsel to determine the real cause of our suffering, but if we focus on God’s Word and align with His will then we will be in the right place.
4. We will share in God’s Glory. 1 Peter 4:13 (NLT) tells us that afterward, we “will have the wonderful joy of sharing his glory when it is revealed to all the world.” There is nothing more powerful than a changed life. When we allow the Lord to purify and refine us through trials then we will glorify God in this life and through all eternity.
5. Suffering enables us to comfort others. 2 Corinthians 1:4 (NLT) says, “He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us.”
God always has a purpose in every trial we go through, no matter how big or small. Rest assured that He will always provide grace and guidance and will never leave us to suffer alone.
Let’s Pray:
Heavenly Father,
Thank You for allowing us to go through trials so that we can know You better. Teach us to rely on You when hardships come. Enable us to trust You through the storms of life so we may walk closer to You.
In Jesus’s Name I pray,
Amen.
Song of Reflection #1: “Count it All Joy” by Bebe and Cece Winans. Listen to it here.
Song of Reflection #2: “I’ll Trust You, Lord” by Donnie McClurkin. Listen to it here.
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Author Bio:
Cherie Mendez is a professional actress and photographer.
Her passion is to help women understand their true worth and walk in their God-given purpose. After many years working as a Christian in the entertainment industry, she is thankful to be able to share all her learning experiences in her blog posts and on Instagram.
Some of the topics Cherie loves to write about are:
· Coping with rejection
· Finding your purpose and using your talent for God’s glory
· How God always looks at the heart and the meaning of inner beauty
· Understanding that we are all a work in progress and God is not done with us yet
Cherie’s TV credits include "The Equalizer", "Bull", and "Blue Bloods" (CBS). She also appeared in the PureFlix film "Revelation Road 3: The Black Rider".
Cherie and her husband Jimmy live in Texas. They are thankful to have been married for 30 years. In their free time, they enjoy traveling, photography, and movie night.
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Connect with Cherie:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cheriemendez/
