All trials are temporary.

And fretting over them doesn’t help.

Had John Bunyan spent his twelve long years in the Bedford jail stewing over his predicament, we would have been deprived of “Pilgrim’s Progress”. It was there in his greatest time of trouble that he produced his greatest work. Bunyan said, “I was at home in prison, and I sat me down and wrote and wrote, for the joy did make me write.”

Sounds great for Bunyan. But rejoice in trials?

Let’s face it. Trials themselves do not generally make us feel like rejoicing. But Peter’s word here is that the Christian always has some things in which to rejoice, even during difficulties.

We can rejoice that we have living hope because of our living Saviour.

We can rejoice that we have an inheritance reserved in heaven that cannot be affected by trials here below.

We can rejoice that we are kept by the power of God and that eternal life is therefore certain.

We can rejoice that our trials are temporary…passing things.

We can rejoice that faith grows during times of trouble and that true faith comes forth as gold. Job understood that in the time of his severe trials: “But he knoweth the way that I take: when he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold” (Job 23:10).

We can rejoice that our Lord is coming again … perhaps today, and that it will be worth it all when we see Him.

A Christian can rejoice in times of trial because he has so many possessions that earthly trials cannot touch. Rejoice!