ETERNITY

[Ranb2khz]

Responding to Difficulty

~ Will your trials make you bitter and angry? Or will you trust God and discover the good He has for you?

Scripture Reading:

"Therefore, since we have been declared righteous by faith, let us grasp the fact that we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. We have also obtained access through Him by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. And not only that, but we also 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

Perhaps you read today’s verses and wondered how you could ever exalt or celebrate in your tribulations. After all, joy and gladness hardly seem fitting when you’re going through a difficult trial. But if you understand what the Lord is accomplishing through adversity and how He’s mercifully overseeing the events of your life, it’s possible to respond with gratitude and joy.

God’s goal is to develop perseverance in His children, along with proven character and, ultimately, hope. Relatively speaking, this life and its hardships won’t last long. But the glory that awaits us is eternal.

The Lord controls and sets limits on our burdens so they don’t overwhelm us. His goal is not to destroy us but to make us like His Son. And He designs the difficulty according to our areas of weakness so we’ll grow spiritually strong and lack nothing of eternal value:

"But endurance must do its complete work, so that you may be mature and complete, lacking nothing." ~ James 1:4

As God matures you, the intensity of trials may seem to build. But you’ll be better able to handle them in a way that brings spiritual benefit while also honoring the Lord. Over time you’ll become more confident that He’s doing a good work in your life. Then you’ll find you can rejoice in Him and increasingly depend on His strength.

https://www.intouch.org/read/daily-devotions/responding-to-difficulty






.