Trials in life should inspire spiritual
growth. Peter imparts, “These have come so that your faith--of
greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire--may be
proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is
revealed” (I Peter 1:7, NIV). The trying of your faith during hardship should
develop the ability to persevere. Christ reveals that we are to be perfect just
as our heavenly Father is perfect. Perseverance is meant to spur each believer
on toward this goal (Matthew 5:48).
Nothing has happened in your
life that isn’t common to someone else. “There hath no temptation taken you but
such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be
tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to
escape, that ye may be able to bear it. God will not test you beyond what you
can bear, but will provide a way out” (I Corinthians 10:13, NKJV). Many
Christians consider this passage in Paul’s letter to the Corinthians as Christ’s
promise to always deliver them from difficult circumstances, and then
conveniently forget the next phrase, which infers God will give strength to
endure. Sometimes God does deliver us from the most frightful situation.
Sometimes He doesn’t. Might God be instructing us that His grace is more than
sufficient, and He will provide the strength to stand? Satan attempts to bring
out our worst, but God always seeks our best.
“We also rejoice in our sufferings, because
we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and
character, hope” (Romans 5:3-4). Suffering creates the ability to persevere.
Perseverance reveals the moral fiber in good character. Character promises hope.
Hope doesn’t disappoint, but fuels our faith. We rejoice in the fact that we
grow in spiritual maturity. Faith is being sure of what I hope for and certain
of what I cannot see (Hebrews 11:1). Hope that needs to be seen says, “I kind of
believe, but let me just see enough, so that I can really believe.” It is not
the kind of hope that just trusts that the unseen will come. It is certainly not
the hope that understands how to wait patiently.
Have you ever considered waiting as being equivalent to
hoping? “But those who “hope in”(or “wait upon” in the KJV)) the
Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will
run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint” (Isaiah 40:31, NIV).
Here God is exemplified as one whose wisdom surpasses ours, and who is incapable
of failure. He becomes not only the God of power revealed through His creation,
but also the God of power given to His creation.
Our natural resources aren’t enough to generate hope, and
the ability to wait hopefully. For this to happen you must exchange our strength
for His. When you give the Lord your concerns with the assurance that He is in
control, hope not only springs from suffering, but also produces a greater faith
that waits for what the world considers impossible. Now waiting only makes you
stronger. You have grown from suffering to hope, and from hope to greater faith.
Perseverance has brought its reward.
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