Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! By his great mercy he has given us a new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who are being protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you rejoice, even if now for a little while you have had to suffer various trials, so that the genuineness of your faith – being more precious than gold that, though perishable, is tested by fire – may be found to result in praise and glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. Although you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and rejoice with an indescribable and glorious joy, for you are receiving the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

1 Peter 1:3-9

We may face all kinds of problems. It could be family, health, or finances that nag at us. Whatever our problems, we need to put our lives, here on earth, in perspective. Jesus loves us and saves us. Every day that we are alive we have a reason to rejoice because we believe in the power of Jesus to save us. We know that we will join Jesus and God in heaven when we die.

If you know Jesus,

you always have reasons to rejoice.

Our Daily Bread – October 30, 2003