…to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you. – 1 Peter 1:4

As the popular saying goes, April showers bring May flowers…but just like desiring the sun after days of rain, sometimes it’s difficult to wait for the good stuff to get here.

The book of 1 Peter was written to encourage Christians who were going through extended brutal persecution by the Romans. Today, we in the United State are not (yet) experiencing this kind persecution, but there are parts of the world where Christians are regularly tortured and killed for their faith. We are, however, seeing political/social persecution… such as being required to support abortion and homosexuality or face fines or even imprisonment. As we live in the “last days,” we should expect to experience increasingly more trouble simply for standing up for what the Bible teaches. But Peter wanted both the Christians of his day (and us) to know that, though they were “distressed by various trials” (1 Peter 1:6), this world was not their real home (1:17b; 2:11a; 5:10) and that they had an inheritance in Heaven that no one could take from them (1:3-5). In essence, he was telling them that the best was yet to come.

The Bible teaches that the days just before the coming of the Lord will be filled with dangers for believers, but we are to hold fast and not yield to the evils and temptations which will grow increasingly stronger (2 Tim. 3; 2 Pet. 3).  The enemy can use these chaotic times to make us fearful.  But remember that he is no match for the Holy Spirit living in us (1 John 4:4) and we are more than conquerors through Jesus Christ our Lord (Rom. 8:37).  We should prepare ourselves for battle (Eph. 6:10-18), while remembering the battle belongs to the Lord (Prov. 21:31). We are living in exciting times and can have confidence that we have been given the tools to be prepared and victorious. for we know that the best is yet to come!