Friday, August 28, 2009

Friday's Devo - Glory in Our Tribulations

Read Romans 5:1-5
Because of what Christ did for us on the cross we have a future in glory to look forward to. This knowledge makes living not only livable but the harder it gets, the more we have peace in God. Tribulations work patience in us usually because there is no way to speed up the process. A trial has a set time of endurance and no amount of fussing, trying harder, or pushing will change that. Jesus had to endure God's timing on the cross. Jesus was to die on Passover at sunset and man had till then to persecute Jesus and there was no way Jesus could hurry it up. He even felt abandoned. But God came through and took him from this life and washed and cared for all Jesus' wounds. Then he raised him justified and clean that we might also be justified and clean through that same blood that he shed.
Patience works experience. In other words when we have to wait for something it causes our trust level to go up. My mother was coming to visit me and it seemed like everything was going wrong for her to come. But instead of giving up, it made her fight harder to come. Her patience and perseverance payed and she was able to come.
Once you have experienced waiting for something and then receiving it you have hope the next time you are waiting on God for something. You have experienced God's hand and now you have hope for the future. God said he would never forsake us or leave us. It is easier to believe what you have experienced to be true. This hope, expectation, confidence will help you next time not to be ashamed of calling out to God. You know he will come through.
Lord, thank you for all the trials that you have custom-ordered for me. They have caused me to lean solely on you and you have never disappointed me. I praise you.

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