Good morning, friends. Today is July 22, 2025. Yesterday my wife and I celebrated 19 years of marriage—and I love her more today than ever. I’m blown away by how love can grow deeper over time, even through the good, the bad, and the ugly. Did you know that pure gold melts at exactly 1,064 degrees Celsius? A jeweler applies intense heat to refine and shape that precious metal into something beautiful. Marriage and faith require a similar process. Heat refines gold; God uses trials, hardships, and challenges to refine us. Peter speaks directly to this—because the refining process isn’t always easy… but it is always purposeful.
Today's Reading:
Isaiah 36,37; Psalms 76; 1 Peter 1
Scripture
“In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.” (1 Peter 1:6–7 NIV)
Observation
Peter reminds us that trials are part of the Christian life, but they’re temporary—and they serve a purpose. Like fire that purifies gold, trials turn up the heat in our lives to refine our faith, exposing what’s real and lasting.
Faith, unlike gold, won’t perish. It endures and grows stronger through adversity. And Peter points out that refined faith leads to praise, glory, and honor when Christ is revealed—meaning that how we respond now echoes into eternity.
This also implies that unrefined faith may crumble when tested. That’s a sobering thought—and a good reason to let God keep refining us.
Application
When I face trials, I have a choice: to see them as roadblocks or as refining points. Rather than reacting in frustration or fear, I can pause and ask, “How can I respond in a way that reveals a refined faith?”
Even a 30-second pause can help me choose faith over flesh—and honor Jesus in the process.
Prayer
Dear Lord,
Thank You for this timely reminder. Thank You for Peter’s honesty—he was a man who learned hard lessons, just like I do. Help me to receive wisdom today before I walk into consequences tomorrow. Refine my heart. Strengthen my faith. Let my life bring praise and honor to You.
Amen.
—Aaron Cordeiro