And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; And patience, experience; and experience, hope: And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.
Romans 5:3-5
It is easy for Christians to boast about the goodness of Jesus when things are well in their respective lives, and it’s easy for them to share their joy with others when they feel the presence of God in their lives; however, through today’s devotional, we are reminded of the greatest ministry that we have which is developed through our trials and tribulations… Understand today that the same joy we experience in the sunshine we must display and experience in the rain… So many of us claim to be about the work of the Lord, but in crunch time, when the sweat begins to come forth, we don’t keep our hands to the plow… This message today serves as a reminder that you can’t have one without the other… You can’t love Christ and not obey His commands; you can’t seek His face and not seek His will… This is why Paul writes this chapter in his letter to the Church of Rome; the message of Christ had gone forth, but the toiling and persecution which accompanied the word was not accepted… This same principle is what plagues the church of today… We want the cake, but we don’t want to be in the kitchen to bring all the ingredients together… We want the end result, but not the beginning equation…Look at the first part of these verses, Paul says, “And not only so…” In the midst of this uncontrollable bliss, Paul wants us to remember that there is a marriage in the body of Christ that binds the grace of God with the trials and tribulations of the world…
These two are inseparable and it’s simply all or nothing…So many of us spend our days trying to experience the grace of God without the persecutions that come with the grace and therefore we find ourselves trying to tip-toe through life and never walk by faith… The faith you need to please God is lacking in your life, the absence of that faith is what will lead you to endure more through your storms and not get more out of them… Paul says that we glory in tribulations also; you must have a mindset that will take on the hardest obstacle and steepest mountain because of your trust and faith in Christ… Look at the passage, Paul is speaking about having glory amidst hardships and tribulations; He is referring to us as individuals and how we display our faith and devotion to God while dealing with the storms of life… Glory is beauty, splendor, brilliance, or fame; there are some people in your life that need to see your beauty and splendor when you go through stuff and not just when you feel comfortable or content. When you walk in faith, your splendor will be evident no matter what you face…You thank God when things are good and praise Him for learning when you go through a test… This is why Paul says we glory in tribulations also: knowing… Your glory can be seen through all the clouds of life when you have faith in God knowing that the storms you face will not overtake you but are preparing you for your next level or phase of life… The key to your beauty, the key to your smile, the key to your joy is found in knowing… When you know that God loves you, you don’t fret about the situation or the circumstances of tomorrow, when you know God loves you, you can embrace the most disgusting and ugliest of situations, when you know that God loves you, you can see the ray of hope in the rain and the light at the end of what appears to be a dark and scary tunnel… You can accept the course of life which prevents challenges and changes, not because you love a test, but because you love God and know that all things work for the Good!!! The storm won't break you, it's watering the seed inside that is about to produce a harvest for you!!!
ALL FOR HIS GLORY!
No comments:
Post a Comment