1–2 Peter: A 10-Day Devotional Reading PlanShembull

Refining Fire The beauty of gold is evident only after it has been heated so hot in a fire that all the impurities are burned away. It’s how precious metals are refined, in other words, how they are made beautiful. This refining imagery is also found in the Old Testament. Peter writes in verses 8–9 that believers reach the outcome of their faith—salvation— through believing and rejoicing. But he certainly doesn’t mean that salvation is earned by faith or joy! His point is that as we trust in God, even in the midst of difficulties of all kinds, we are laying hold of the salvation that has already been given to us. Reflection: What, according to Peter in verse 7, is God’s intended outcome of our painful refining? Reflect on a season of suffering in your life. How did God bring you through that time, and how did it refine you and your faith?