My connect group is currently studying through the book of Romans, and yesterday’s lesson brought a scripture to mind that I had memorized a few years back when going through Margaret Feinberg’s study, Fight Back with Joy. Let me take a moment to highly recommend this study-
In it Margaret dives into the Word through study, scripture memorization, and journaling to share how we were meant to fight life’s toughest battles- with JOY!
This study was a lifeline to me during a time of difficulty and trial. Today as I find myself in a similar spot, the learnings from a previous time are being unearthed.
The scripture that God brought to the forefront is Romans 5:3-5.
But we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.
This was a word I needed to hear because through the course of this last week, I’ve grown impatient and irritable in dealing with the life changes that have come with the COVID-19 Pandemic.
The lesson writer said of this passage,
“Believers can rejoice in affliction because they recognize the hand of God at work in hard times . . . more than keeping a stiff upper lip and making lemonade out of lemons. Affliction, Paul noted, creates endurance. Endurance produces character . . . Afflictions squeeze our lives and reveal ungodly actions and attitudes.” (Bunn, Bob. Explore the Bible. Lifeway Spring 2020)
I was immediately convicted of my lack of rejoicing and the fact that I was in my own best effort, trying to make good out of a bad situation. I wrote in the margin of the page-
Father God, in this challenging time, where is your hand at work in me?
The answer came quickly- words and phrases that have been popping up through previous studies and time in the Word-
SELF CONTROL – RESTRAINT – LIFE IN THE SPIRIT – PUTTING OFF THE OLD
LIVING IN THE NEW!
I was reminded that God is faithfully using all things- even this time of extended social isolating- to refine in me the rough edges of the old man that are driven by selfishness and pride to create in me the character of Christ.
Realizing that God is working- not wasting a single thing- does in fact produce HOPE in me. His love assures me that even now there is purpose and use for His glory that I don’t want to miss.
I’m pulling out a PIC from a few years back when next steps were uncertain and my heart was tired of the challenge. I’m praying and committing to memory again Romans 5:3-5 for a new set of circumstances that are threatening to take the life out of me-
I rejoice as I look back at the old card because I see how God brought me through then and worked good things from a difficult season. This fuels hope and joy for another opportunity to see how God will work again in and through a hard season.
I want to do more than just get through this . . .
I want to endure to see what God will produce in me through this!
Will you join me in finding the evidence of God at work in you?
Daily PICs for Life 