1 Peter 1:3-9 God, the Father of our Lord, is full of mercy and compassion.

2 Corinthians 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort

John 1:1-3 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.

The Apostle Peter spoke almost exclusively to the Jewish believers in Christ. It was in his lifetime that, by the mystery revealed to the Apostle Paul, Jesus, their  King, would offer His life for all of mankind who believed in Him for salvation not only the Jew. Jesus is the image of the invisible God. No man has seen God but Jesus, God the Son, has revealed Him to us. He spoke the word and creation came into existence. He is the firstborn of every creature. By Him all things were created. The universe was created by Him and remains in His hands to run smoothly and is under His control. He is the head of the Body of Christ so that in all things He has preeminence. Through the blood of His cross redemption and peace are available to all of us.

Hebrews 1:1-3 God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, 2 has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds; 3 who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person

John 1:14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.

Colossians 1:24-27  I now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up in my flesh what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ, for the sake of His body, which is the church, 25 of which I became a minister according to the stewardship from God which was given to me for you, to fulfill the word of God, 26 the mystery which has been hidden from ages and from generations, but now has been revealed to His saints. 27 To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. 

When Jesus took on the sins of the world by His death on the Cross we were redeemed. Only God, in the person of Jesus, could overcome sin and death. To the Apostle Paul the mystery of salvation to all who believe in Jesus was revealed. Only in faith can we accept the salvation provided in Jesus Christ and our fellowship with Him. If Holy Spirit raised Jesus from the dead He will raise us also to spend eternity with Him. In Holy Spirit we overcome the trial and tribulations of life and are refined to the glory of God the Father.

1 Peter 1:3-9 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, 5 who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. 6 In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, 7 that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ, 8 whom having not seen you love. Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, 9 receiving the end of your faith—the salvation of your souls.

We are blessed to be refined by the trials in our life. It is our choice how to handle them. The way of God is to place Him first in our lives and to share His love for His creation by loving and caring  for our neighbors. He so loved all of His creation that He gave His life to redeem us to Himself. Carla

Born again refers to the believer’s new life that is only possible because of the death and resurrection of Christ. First Peter’s use of new-birth language to describe salvation reflects Jesus’ teaching (1 Peter 1:23; 2:2; John 3:3, 7). This rebirth is accomplished by Jesus’ resurrection from the dead and serves as the Christian reason for hope: certainty of future salvation. 

Once dead in their sins, Christians now live with assured hope of their own resurrection. 

An inheritance refers to the hope mentioned in 1 Peter 1:3. Peter’s emphasis on the lasting nature of this inheritance would have comforted his audience as they suffered displacement and experienced uncertainty about the future. In contrast to the deuterocanonical book of 2 Esdras, which would have been known to his audience, Peter emphasizes the achievements of Christ’s atonement rather than an individual’s good works. 

Salvation refers to God’s deliverance of His people from physical and spiritual captivity. For Peter, salvation is both a present reality experienced through the believer’s new birth in Christ and a promise of final deliverance in the future. Although Christians will receive their inheritance with joy when Christ is revealed (1 Peter 1:7), they may face suffering and trials during the relatively brief present time. 

Peter exhorts the churches in Asia Minor to stand firm in the midst of persecution, which likely includes state-sponsored reprisals for refusing to pay tribute to Caesar as well as general persecution against Christians, who were viewed as a maligned offshoot of Judaism. Peter may be writing from Rome where the church is undergoing intense persecution by Nero. If this is the case, the churches to which Peter writes in Asia Minor—the center of emperor worship —probably had not yet encountered the same level of opposition as the church in Rome. His letter serves as a warning to Christians about what is coming. This possibly refers to imperial persecution under the reign of Nero, but most likely describes the role trials play in the growth of Christian faith. 

According to 1 Peter, faith that remains true in the face of suffering is more valuable than anything else. Faithlife Study Bible

Our salvation is grounded in God’s mercy, His act of compassion toward us despite our condition of sinfulness. God has given believers a new, spiritual life that enables us to live in an entirely different dimension than the one our physical birth allowed. 

Hope here does not imply a wishfulness but rather a dynamic confidence that does not end with this life but continues throughout eternity. Through the resurrection “to a living hope,”  suggests that it is to be understood as the means of our salvation rather than the means of our hope (1 Corinthians 15:12–19).

The Greek word translated inheritance here suggests both a present and a future reality. 

God has already determined what we will one day experience in its totality. God has set aside in heaven a wonderful inheritance that is waiting for us even now. God keeps His people safe from external attack and safe within the protective boundaries of His kingdom. We do not now see or understand fully the salvation that God has prepared for us, but one day we will (1 Corinthians 4:5; 1 John 3:2).

While there is much rejoicing because of the salvation God has prepared for us, there will also be agony because of the pressures and difficulties of life. Trials  refers to ordeals that we encounter in life rather than those things that would induce us to sin. Note that no one particular problem is in view here, but rather all the testings of life.

As the purity of gold is brought forth by intense heat, so the reality and purity of our faith are revealed as a result of the fiery trials we face. Ultimately the testing of our faith not only demonstrates our final salvation but also develops our capacity to bring glory to the Lord Jesus Christ when He comes into His kingdom and we reign with Him (Romans 8:17; 2 Timothy 2:12; Revelations. 5:9–12). 

There is a final, positive outcome for trusting God through all the difficulties of life—our salvation, which here has an eschatological sense. The salvation of your souls refers to our glorification in heaven and perhaps the rewards we will receive for following Christ. 

Peter indicates that the Old Testament prophets knew of the gracious salvation we would one day receive and, as a result, studied it carefully and intensively. The NKJV Study Bible

1 Peter 4:12–13 Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you; but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ’s sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy. 

1 Peter 1:13 Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; 

Romans 2:7 eternal life to those who by patient continuance in doing good seek for glory, honor, and immortality; 

1 Corinthians 15:20 But now Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. 

…to put a spin on Teilhard de Chardin, "the whole of life lies in seeing the world sacramentally.” And this is not sheer sentimentality.  When we do live sacramentally, there is a “price to pay”, because we are connected—consciously and compassionately and empathetically—to this place and to each another and to the sacred at the core.

And Yes. Honoring that we are on this journey together.

Remembering Einstein’s wisdom, "Not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted."

They can be places where we are able to receive. And places from which we give; wholeheartedness, joy, compassion, sorrow, kindness, grace, forgiveness, gladness. “Sabbath Moments”  Terry Hershey