BYU-Idaho's Student Honor administrator emphasized the importance of enduring earthly trials in his devotional, Tuesday.
Devotional speaker, Casey Puzey, said when people let God prevail in their lives, He will consecrate their efforts and make them more capable of taking on hardship.
“Now, some may ask: Why? I’m happy with who I am. I don’t need refinement – it’s what makes me who I am,” Puzey said. “In answer to that honest question, I would testify, that as we choose to Let God Prevail, to let him purify and consecrate us, we will experience more joy, more confidence, and deeper, more meaningful relationships. I testify that we will experience more hope, more strength and comfort in times of pain, grief, loneliness, discouragement, depression and fear.”
In an interview with BYU-Idaho Radio, Puzey said he was inspired to write for students who felt they were in a difficult and new part of their lives.
“I immediately started thinking about the young people on this campus,” Puzey said. “I really wanted to connect with students that are in that place they’re at a crossroads and they need to understand that the trials and struggles that they are having is part of life and part of our purpose here on this earth.”
Puzey said in preparing his talk he thought back to people and times in his life that demonstrated the reward of letting God prevail.
“I thought of examples of people and experiences in my own life that have taken that path to just let God prevail and to turn themselves over to the Lord and just trust Him, trust the process, trust the refinement and the experience that they’re having, that it’s perfect for them and who they are,” Puzey said. “And if [students] can do that it’ll lead them to places that will just be incredible.”
Puzey said his ability to endure hardship has helped refine him to be something better than he was before.
“The great refiner, Jesus Christ, is the one that I can trust to shape me to be who I need to be,” Puzey said. “It’s given me the faith that understanding gives me the faith to willingly turn my life over to the Lord and let Him give me experiences and opportunities that will help shape me to be who He needs me to be.”
To learn more and listen to the full interview with Casey Puzey, go to BYU-Idaho Radio’s podcast on Spotify, YouTube or wherever you get your podcasts.