We know this life is not easy. And God never told us that it would be. In this life, we go through many obstacles, but there's a reason for that. My question for you today is: " How will you choose to respond to your afflictions?
With everything, God has given us a choice. We can choose to be happy or we can choose to be sad. We can either choose to push through our trials or we can choose to be stagnant. We have to make up in our minds how we will spend our days, even while we're going through. While going through the storm, we can have hope that a brighter day is near.
I want to visit the book of Romans, as Paul outlines the process in which hope is formed.
"Therefore, since we have been declared righteous by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. We have also obtained access through Him by faith and we rejoice in our afflictions because we know that affliction produces endurance, endurance produces proven character and proven character produces hope. This hope will not disappoint us, because God's love has been poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us." - Romans 5:1-5 CSB
Afflictions ⏩ Endurance ⏩ Character ⏩ Hope
I want this to be a reminder that we don't experience trials and tribulations because the Lord has forgotten about us, but because He's always thinking of us! From the passage above, we learned that our afflictions actually help build our character. I just love the book of Romans because later on in the book we find out that "all things work together for the good of those who love God, according to His purpose". (Romans 8:28)
(And if we go down a little further, chapter 12 gives us an action plan: "Rejoice in hope; be patient in affliction; be persistent in prayer.)
I know this may sound so cliche but everything truly happens for a reason. Every obstacle, every battle, every heartbreak, every trial, and every tribulation. God is using all of it for our good. We may not always understand it, but as you continue to grow in God, I pray that you'll be able to seek the Lord when the unknowing gets tough. Proverbs 3 reminds us to "trust in the Lord with all our hearts, and not to depend on our own understanding. We shall seek His will in all we do and He will show us which path to take". (Proverbs 3:5-6) I absolutely love those two verses because it's a great reminder that God is in control. He's already worked it out, so it ain't no need to worry. If we are to lean not on our own understanding, we should be leaning on God, trusting what His Word says. That's why it's so important to study the Word! Please don't sleep on it! Remember, in the last devotional, we talked about the Word being our sword in battle! It's not just some book that should be chilling on your To-Be-Read shelf. It's a MUST READ to make it through this life!
I want to leave you with these thoughts:
Though the storms may come and the winds may blow, will you remain steadfast?
Where does your hope lie? Is it anchored to the ground? Is God your firm foundation?
In the middle of the storm, in the middle of your trial, will you still bless Him?
Remember, the Lord will never let you down. His faithfulness is so great! If He promised you anything, it shall come to pass! Rejoice in hope today!
reFRESHments
Read Romans 5:1-5
Read Romans 8:28
Read Romans 12:2
Read Hebrews 6:19
Read Proverbs 3:5-6
Song: Promises - Maverick City Music
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