OUR SUFFERING CAN MAKE US STRONG

SCRIPTURE:

“Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.” (Romans‬ ‭5‬:‭1‬-‭5‬ ‭NIV‬)

OBSERVATION:

The promise of peace with God comes through faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. What an amazing promise of peace. Moreover, we have access into Jesus GRACE by faith. Because we have peace and access to the grace of Jesus by faith, we hope in the glory of God. This hope is not a wishful thought, but the confident, expectant, joyful knowledge that we are being changed by God and will one day see Christ face to face, having been conformed to His image.

Having this knowledge of peace, grace and hope of the glory of God in Christ gives us that confidence that we will be able to glory in our sufferings because Christ is within us. Christ lives in us, and nothing that we go through is wasted.

Paul says we glory in our sufferings. It is good to ponder, what does it mean we “glory in our sufferings?” It’s not a natural thing for any humans to glory in sufferings. For the believer, it is so, because Jesus in us uses whatever we suffered through to grow us in him. There are great things we can learn even from suffering. They are glorious experiences that has beneficial development in our lives. Every suffering we go through we must never forget that Jesus is in it to develop us. If we forget, that we can never get better, but bitter about life.

We face our sufferings with Jesus peace, grace and hope. To glory in our sufferings produces these amazing qualities of life. We know that suffering PRODUCES perseverance; perseverance PRODUCES character; character PRODUCES hope, and hope does not put us to shame. Why? Because God’s love has been POURED out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.

This is so powerful. Whenever we are going through suffering, the Holy Spirit has already work on our behalf. The Holy Spirit POURS out God’s love for us while we are in a season of suffering. Therefore our lives will BE A PRODUCTIVE LIFE through the things we suffer. We are being developed into a person who is strengthened and not weakened.

APPLICATION:

I learned today that any season we enter into, the Holy Spirit has already worked on our behalf to assured us that we will overcome and not succumb to the pressure of the season. Every suffering that we experience, Jesus peace, grace and love accompanies us through it, therefore we will never be weakened by suffering, but have a productive life. I choose not to shunned suffering but to look for Jesus embrace in faith.

PRAYER:

Holy Spirit, thank you for pouring out the Father’s love in my life daily. I am grateful for your abiding presence. Even as I mourn the passing of my brother, I know, I have learned to trust in the Father’s love that you are pouring out over me and my siblings. Thank you so much for your presence daily in my life. I look to you daily for your peace, grace and love. Amen!