1 Peter 1:8 Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy,
This verse describes the essence of the faith Peter has been writing about in this opening paragraph of his letter. Faith is believing in what we do not see. So much of our lives is based on what is right in front of us–what we experience with our senses. These senses can be tricked and distorted by the desires of the world. Faith is evident in loving Jesus even though we do not see him. How can we believe in what we do not see? God does give us clues from other senses and sights beyond simply seeing a physical Jesus. We can use our eyes to read the Bible. We can see and hear the testimony of faithful people. We can experience the ups and downs, pains and joys, of life that help us realize that there is more to life than what we see.
The result of this faith is joy. Joy is different than happiness. Happiness is the emotion that we may, but not always, experience from joy. Joy is closely related to hope and optimism. It comes from a deep trust that all is well with our souls. Our external experiences may be difficult, harsh, or even unlivable. But because joy is an expression of faith, joy is not dependent upon external factors.
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