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 who are down or sad when they feel the presence of God; 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 was not accepted… This same principle is what plagues the church of today… We want the cake but 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…”
There’s so much joy experienced when one turns their life over to Christ, there is a newness felt within that cannot be put into words and the greatest artist of all cannot even begin to imagine and portray on a canvass the speechless feeling that one gains when they now know they are co-heirs with Christ… Amid 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 which is why you don't develop through the storms you face. 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 the individual dealing with the storm and how you display yourself in the rain… Glory is beauty, splendor, brilliance, or fame; some people in your life need to see your beauty and splendor when you go through stuff and not just when you feel comfortable and there is no storm in your current forecast… 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…
ALL FOR HIS GLORY!
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