I am very thirsty today, so I have brought along some tea-bags and my kettle so that we can make some tea ( Boil some water and start making tea in the clear glass mug or jug ).  To make tea, we need to soak a tea-bag in boiling water in order to make a good strong cup of tea.

This reminds us that we will go through many tests, trials and hard times in our lives.  God allows this to happen to us, so that He can make us into good strong Christians.

There, the kettle has boiled, so I will fill this mug and add a tea-bag.  We'll wait a few minutes and then we can have some tea!  It takes time to make a good cup of tea, doesn't it?  In the same way we must take time to pray and read our Bibles.

We need boiling water to make a good cup of tea.  I don't know about you, but I can't stand luke-warm tea.  Jesus said in Revelation 3:15-16 that as Christians, we should be either hot or cold, but never luke-warm:

"I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot,
and because you are lukewarm - I will spit you out".

Well, I certainly don't want to be spat out, and so I am determined to be a hot Christian!  What about you?   We cannot be half-hearted Christians and serve God on Sunday, and then forget all about Him during the rest of the week.  No, we must serve God faithfully every day and all the time.

God uses hard trials and testings to make our faith stronger and make us into better Christians.   So don't give up!  Serve God faithfully every day of your life.   The Apostle Peter says in 1 Peter 1:6-7, that when we look back on our lives:

"On that day you will glad, even if you have to go through many trials.
Your faith will be like gold that has been tested (made pure) in a fire.
And these trials will show that your faith is worth much more than gold."

Yes, these trials are like being dipped into boiling water.   It's not nice to be tested, but if we keep trusting in God, Jesus will bring safely us through every trial and temptation.  And the Apostle Paul tells us to fight the good fight of life, because there's a crown of righteousness waiting for us in Heaven one day.

Now, that's worth waiting for!  So in the meantime serve God with all your heart and do everything to please Him.

God bless!