One way to know that God is trying to tell you something is when you hear it or see it from different sources in quick succession. That is how today started, with two reminders that despite the current state of the world and the trickle-down hardships that brings, we have much to rejoice over. Before we rejoice over our blessings, however, we must remember them.
It seems to me that the point of remembering things is not just to hold the knowledge of them in our hearts, but to revisit their joy, wisdom, and purpose in our lives. We find them in our Garden of Remembrance. At least that is how I think of it. A place we can return to in any moment to remember, reflect, renew, and be thankful.
Peter talks about our need to rejoice in all things, even the hard, to the glory of Christ and for our own peace.
In which last season you are to be constantly rejoicing with a joy that expresses itself in a triumphant exuberance, although for a little while at the present time if perchance there is need for it, you have been made sorrowful in the midst of many different kinds of testings in order that the approval of your faith, which faith was examined by testing for the purpose of being approved, that approval being much more precious than the approval of gold which perishes, even though that gold be approved by fire-testing, may be discovered after scrutiny to result in praise and glory and honor at the time of the revelation of Jesus Christ; whom not having seen, you love because of His preciousness, in whom now not seeing yet believing you are to be rejoicing with an inexpressible and glorified joy upon the occasion of your receiving the promised consummation of your faith which is the salvation of your souls. (1 Peter 1:6-9, Wuest)
We rejoice in the fact of our salvation and the joy it brings to our lives. We rejoice in the moment, of course, but that moment is a marker we can revisit anytime we choose. It is an eternal altar in our life and always only a remembrance away. No matter the trial of the moment, that moment of joy is always there waiting for us to return to it.
We rejoice in our tests because we are worthy of the test. This one is the most difficult to accept, I think. The natural inclination is to be “sorrowful,” frustrated, fearful, and agitated when being tested. But when we understand the purpose of any test, regardless of its source, is the refinement of our faith, character, strength, and wisdom, we can rejoice because we know that He is using the trial to form us into His image. And that very fact, that God is forming us into His image, is cause for rejoicing. It means He loves us, cares for us, and is investing Himself in us.
We rejoice in the approval of our faith. How precious that approval is! The Word tells us it is more valuable to us than the finest gold refined through the test of fire. Sometimes I think that is how we feel during a trial, as if we have been disassembled and poured through fire for purification. I’ve been there and know it is not easy, but the rejoicing that follows is exhilarating. When our faith is genuine, we want to be in close relationship and communion with the One who refines and approves us. What greater joy than to draw closer to Him who has loved us through the fire?
Our remembrance gardens are full of these moments, but the garden needs to be tended. It is a place to go to when we need to be reminded of God’s goodness in our lives as an encouragement, but it is also good to go there just to commune with Him, to remember, to be thankful, and to rejoice.
Visit your garden sometime. You might be surprised who you meet there.
Shalom