1 Peter 1:3-12
New International Version (NIV)
Praise to God for a Living Hope
3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you, 5 who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. 6 In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. 7 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. 8 Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, 9 for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls.
10 Concerning this salvation, the prophets, who spoke of the grace that was to come to you, searched intently and with the greatest care, 11 trying to find out the time and circumstances to which the Spirit of Christ in them was pointing when he predicted the sufferings of the Messiah and the glories that would follow. 12 It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves but you, when they spoke of the things that have now been told you by those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven. Even angels long to look into these things.
Last night I listened to a young woman, fervent in faith and radiant through redemption, speak of what angels long to look into. She thought that they must marvel at those who believe in Jesus whom they have never seen, who remain faithful in serving an invisible God. For those beings, living beyond the veil in the full light of God's glory, are also charged with serving the children Christ redeemed. Knowing how weak and puny we are, they must indeed wonder at the depth of our Savior's love and mercy. I wonder at this myself, but sometimes it's a sullen wonder. When troubles come I wonder why God doesn't treat me any better than He does. I get a little put out and my faith becomes small. Why do I expect better treatment that Jesus, Himself, received upon this earth? My inheritance is in Heaven. A little grief here is a good grief.
"Farther Along" - The Grascals
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