In His grace, God takes us through trials to show us He’s always with us. He does so to teach us that His grace is sufficient (to teach us His ample faithfulness) for us, that He’ll never leave us nor forsake us, and that He always causes us to triumph so we can get used to trusting Him in all things…always. This is so loving and all-powerful.
The following was so good and soothing that I just had to share it with you.
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Prayer Produces Patience and Hope
By Joyce Meyer
Moreover [let us also be full of joy now!] let us exult and triumph in our troubles and rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that pressure and affliction and hardship produce patient and unswerving endurance. And endurance (fortitude) develops maturity of character (approved faith and tried integrity). And character [of this sort] produces [the habit of] joyful and confident hope of eternal salvation.
Romans 5:3-4
It is easy to say, “Don’t worry.” But to actually do that requires experience with the faithfulness of God. When we trust God and then see and experience His faithfulness in our lives, it gives us great confidence to live without worry, fear and anxiety.
That’s why it is so important to continue to have faith and trust in God in the very midst of trials and tribulations. With God’s help, we can steadfastly resist the temptation to give up and quit when the going gets rough. God uses those hard, trying times to build in us patience, endurance, and character that will eventually produce the habit of joyful and confident hope.
Always remember that when you are in a battle, you are gaining valuable experience that will benefit you in the future. You will more easily trust God when difficulty comes, and you will be able to testify to others regarding the goodness and faithfulness of God. If you are in a battle right now, you can let it defeat you or make you stronger! Make the right decision and let it help bring you into a deeper level of spiritual maturity.
We serve a God Who is so marvelous that He can work out things for our good that Satan intends for harm.
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God bless,
Mark