I’M HOLDING ON AND NOT LETTING GO WHILE I’M SUFFERING

This week, I am exploring what God says about SUFFERING.  As I enter prayer now, I reflect on God’s instruction, “Join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God.” 

Lord, teach me today about suffering.   

I desire to be receptive to the grace You give me,  

so my heart can be full of Your Holy Spirit. 

Let me consider the Word of God from Romans 5:1-5: 

Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us. 

Since I trusted Jesus as my Savior, He now lives in me.  When God looks at me, He does not see my sin, instead He sees His Son.  In God’s eyes, I have been justified through faith and have the right to be called a child of God. 

My relationship with Jesus gives me confidence to boast in the hope of the glory of God.  I want to tell everyone I know that Jesus lives in me and is working in my life.  My relationship with Jesus also helps me to glory in my sufferings.  I desire for everyone to see that my sufferings are not punishments, but simply opportunities for God to show me and others how He is working in my life. 

Suffering is a hard thing to accept, but it becomes a matter of perspective.  I know God needs to work in my life to shape me, so my faith can grow, and I can be renewed.  To achieve His goal, God ordains circumstances that the world produces as opportunities to guide and direct me to Him.  I can feel sorry for myself, be ashamed, or give up in hopelessness, or I can open my eyes to see God’s love being poured into my heart through the Holy Spirit. 

Lord, please open my eyes so that I can see Your love being poured into me. 

This act of love produces perseverance, in which allows me to pursue God all the more, even in the midst of suffering.  This gives me strength and endurance to focus on Him while I am going through a trial.  This builds my character, allowing me to show others how God is working in my life.  And through all of this, my hope is strengthened.  Because God is at work in my life, I can see Jesus living in me. 

Lord, help me because I can only endure it by knowing You are working to build perseverance, character, and hope in my life. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.