During Difficult Trails
Thursday, July 23
During Difficult Trails
And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope. Romans 5:3-4
Before any storm of life, most believers have a pretty good grip on trust and faith in God. In fact, we can easily recite the words written in Romans 8:28 ‘And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.’ Because before the floor shakes beneath your feet life is in fact, all good. Then suddenly one day, everything changes. Maybe they experience the loss of a loved one, start having problems in their marriage, or get a phone call from the doctor with some bad news, or it’s the spread of COVID-19 that has interrupted life.
In these moments the believer must persevere. We have to trust that God–who knows the number of hairs on our heads–cares enough about us to take care of us, no matter what. And we have to remind ourselves of that each morning, in the end God will make it all good.
It’s in these moments that we must put the pedal to the medal exercising faith, trust in God never before. I say this with so much determination because I facing my own personal crisis, it was hard to see how God could take this and make it good. However, I knew enough to understand I need to put trust in the driver’s seat. In these moments, we have a choice. We can turn our backs on Christianity, run from reality, or accept that our circumstances are from God and He will make a way.
Every day that we endure trials we grow in our abilities to persevere through difficult times. Persevering is something we’re commanded to do often in Scripture. Romans 5:4 tells us ‘tribulation produces perseverance’. Paul tells us that perseverance we gain from suffering also produces character.
As we face our sufferings, as we continue to live through COVID-19, we become stronger people. We develop firm beliefs, and we are reminded of our own strength. That’s a precious gift that each of us receives as we go through storms in our lives trusting in God to lend us His strength.
Finally, we are told that character produces hope. We have hope for the future and for each day because we know that our God is watching out for us. We are not lost or alone during these uncertain times, no our hope remains in the One who holds tomorrow, and Paul tells us this hope will not disappoint!
Prayer for today: Lord, thank you for using my suffering to make me more like Your Son. Help me to persevere, grow in my character, and find hope in You. Give me faith to trust what You say, knowing that You are good and You love is great. I know You are building me into a better person through my trials. Thank you for Your grace when I fail. Amen.