Dear Precious Friends,
As we walk into a new day, I find great encouragement from the truth of God's word each and every day.
We didn’t plan for this year to look this way. We didn’t see any of this coming, and yet we find ourselves waking up each day to a world that doesn’t feel quite normal. We have long days, tired bodies, weary hearts and exhausted minds.
As we continue to walk this path that feels uncertain, our spirits carry the weight. We so want our normal lives back.
So what do we do... we focus on what we do know: In the midst of this mess we seek Him and are reminded how we are to respond as Christians:
Romans 5:3-5 says, “We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. And this hope will not lead to disappointment.”
My friends, we need to be reminded that as we go through suffering we are often a powerful witness to those around us.
Rejoice? He is building our spiritual muscles which have to be exercised to be built up...
When I think of all Paul and the disciples had to endure, I am in awe of their testimony and reflect on their great hope in Jesus and how they truly lived these words!!!
When we endure through our sufferings, when we shine with hope even in the worst of times, those around us, who are suffering without hope, often sit up and take notice. In light of all this, we can pray to the one who knows the number of hairs on our head and keeps our tears in a bottle. “God, help me to rejoice in these sufferings, believing you, because you love me, are at work in them to grow me in hope.”
“God, as I rejoice and grow in hope, would you please use my suffering as a light to those who have no hope.”
Wonderfully, when God is answering those prayers, we find even more reason to rejoice in even the worst of times.This verse tells us that we will face trials, but when we do, we can rejoice because God is working. He’s building endurance, strength of character and confident hope in us. God is growing our faith in ways we can’t yet see or fully understand.
Our Hope is in Him..The cross and resurrection of Jesus make hope possible...especially in the very worst of times.
Now my friends, there is one thing left to to... let's go out and live this truth and make our day count for the kingdom...
We need each other and need to be reminded of who we are and whose we are and the hope we have in Him.
This is the day the Lord has made... let us rejoice and be glad in it!! He doesn't give us more than HE can handle...
AMEN!!!
