Verse of the day: Romans 12:12 rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation,
continuing steadfastly in prayer;
What we
believe about God and His promises greatly affects our daily attitude and
behavior. To wholeheartedly put our faith in what God promised will come to
pass will enable us to rejoice because of the hope we have relative to eternal
life and the fact that one day we will either go to Him or He will come back to
get us to be with Him (Jn 14:1-3). We can rejoice in the hope of forgiveness,
as we are confident that we have been forgiven of our sins (Ps 32:5). We
rejoice in knowing that regardless of what God allows in our life, He will work
all things together for good (Rm 8:28-29). We rejoice in that we can never
exhaust God’s grace toward us, and it is enough to carry us through whatever
difficulties we encounter in this lifetime (2 Co 12:9). We rejoice in the hope
of knowing that we, and our loved ones will be resurrected and spend eternity
with our Lord and Savior (1 Co 15:19-20). It is our Living Hope, and the hope
we have in respect to God’s promises that we can endure patiently in
tribulation. Rather than panic, stress, and lose control of our emotions. To be
patient during trying times is to resist murmuring against God for allowing those
times to enter our lives. Job, even when he lost all his riches and his
children, did not sin against God by falsely charging Him (Job 1:22). When we
are patient in tribulation, we will choose to praise Him rather than fall into
despair (Ps 42:5). One of the traps that we can fall into is seeking whatever
means possible, even dishonest ones, in order to escape difficult times. When
we rejoice in hope, knowing that God will keep His promise to see us through,
and we patiently wait on Him, He will open doors for us to shine His light
before this dark world; and give us many opportunities to share Christ with
those around us. By being patient we learn to be give thanks in all things,
knowing and trusting that God has allowed it for a reason that we may not
understand or see. Sadly, I just recently heard a preacher say that God is not
the One who allows bad things to enter our lives. That kind of thinking sets us
up for panic and desperation, as it implies that somehow something got past God
and is tormenting us; not to mention that the Scriptures are very clear that it
is God who determines what tribulations He will allow us to face or not (Job 1
& 2; 2 Sam 16:10-12). When God is the One who decides and controls what
trials we are to be tested by the hope exists that He will be with us through
it, and that He will allow that trial to work out for my good in order to make
me more like Jesus. The key to holding on to the hope we have in God’s promises
and patiently enduring in tribulation is prayer. We are told to pray without
ceasing, as well as rejoice always and give thanks in all things. However, we
are not just told to do this, we are told that this is the will of God (1 The
5:16-18). It is in prayer, and praying the Word of God, that we draw near to
God. It is in that time of fellowship with the Lord that He speaks to us,
comforts us, and empowers us to apply the truths of His Word. It is in prayer,
as we see Him answering and working, that our faith and confidence in God and
His Word grows. The bottom line is that without consistent and continual
prayer, we will lose hope and fall apart in the midst of trials that can be
overcome in Christ (Jn 16:33). Rejoicing in hope and being patient in
tribulation, with prayer, will help us to love without hypocrisy, hate evil and
hold on to what is good. It will help us to react to our brothers and sisters in
kindness, and look out for their good (regardless of what we may be facing), as
well as help us to continue serving the Lord (regardless of where we are at)
with fervency; and all for His honor and glory.
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