Expect things to go “wrong.”

1 Peter 4: ¹² Dear friends, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that has come on you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. ¹³ But rejoice inasmuch as you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed.

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It was finally spring break and my cousin and I loaded up the car to come home. We got on the interstate and my car sputtered and quit. We sat for a while and tried again. The car started and we were so elated. Twenty miles down the road it stopped again.

This process of stopping and starting stretched our two hour trip into four. I guess I should have expected this out of my car because I paid $100 for it.

• Life on earth was cursed by GOD because of sin.
• When Satan was selfish he wanted to ruin all humans.
• He tried to stop JESUS from living a perfect sinless life.
• Satan knows he is defeated so he and his army will stop at nothing to make it bad for me.

Heaven will be a place of perfect worship of GOD the way HE wants it.  HE will wipe away all tears and there will be no more pain, no more trials and no more testing. That person who is acting slimy will no longer bother me and my body will never contract a disease.

• One day JESUS will return to take me to the place HE built for me.
• One day JESUS will return and say “well done my god and faithful servant.”
• One day JESUS will return to rule over all existence because the FATHER has given HIM everything.

Until JESUS returns I can expect to be challenged, tried, falsely accused, beat up, hurt, wounded, scorned and correctly judged for sin. This should not come as a surprise to me. By accepting JESUS as my savior, I made Satan my enemy and he spends all of his time developing ways to tempt and discourage me.

BUT GOD protects me! My soul can never be harmed because I am HIS child and my prize awaits me.

• Are you going through trials?
• Since you are a child of GOD do you expect opposition?
• Do you believe that trials develop your perseverance and perseverance grows faith?
• Can you show someone joy in the middle of your trial?