Thurs.’s Devo - Faith Triumphs in Trials

Read Romans 5:1-7 I really didn’t want Romans to go by this quickly but Romans is a book of doctrines. Paul expounds so meticulously on each part that he uses many examples to explain the same thing. He wants to make sure we “get it”. Today’s lesson is in how our faith triumphs through our tribulations. We learned in the last chapter that our faith is what makes us righteous and gives us peace and assurance. Our faith is made stronger when we go through hard times. Trials work patience in us when we don’t get the answer or the deliverance when we expect or want it. It makes us dig deep into our soul and ask ourselves hard questions like, ‘will we still choose to believe God?’. Trials give us experiences that teach us better than any book could. Our experiences bring about hope. It is the stories of the way God moved in our lives in the past that give us hope for the future. I just got back from Ghana, Africa with a team from my church. On the last day we went shopping and one of our team members left her purchases in the van and we were about to get on the plane. We prayed that she would get them back in time. She did. A little later, our leader left her I-Pad at the airport in Germany. She was given little hope that she would get it back. I told her she would. See, I had seen the miracle of the first lady and knew God would do it again. She got an e-mail saying they had found it. Experiences give us hope in a God who doesn’t get weary coming to our rescue. Lord, it is the little “set backs” that give us the greatest stories of your faithfulness. Thank you!