1Peter 4:12-13 Dear friends, do not be surprised at the fiery trial that is happening to you to test you. Instead, rejoice, since you share in Christ's sufferings, so that when his glory is revealed you may also rejoice with exceeding joy.
Suffering is not accidental; it is part of God's plan. Lewis reminds us that true trials, when they come upon us, are very different from those we accept in our minds. First Peter also points out that fiery trials are not strange things but a sign of our union with Christ. Suffering is not meant to destroy us, but to refine us so that we can rejoice with Christ at His glorious revelation. If we can trust God in suffering, we will discover that His presence is more real than in comfort.
Dear Lord, when suffering strikes, I often feel weak and bewildered. Please grant me the faith to see trials not as accidents but as your loving arrangements. May I still have hope in the midst of pain and gaze upon your glory through my tears. May my heart be purified through refinement, and may I come to know you more deeply. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.