30-Jun-2024 – Tribulation is to build strong faith
“And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; And patience, experience; and experience, hope.” – Romans 5:3-4
Today, as we conclude another month, God speaks to us through the Apostle Paul’s letter to the Romans, reminding us of an important aspect of our faith: the necessity of relying on God’s grace.
“Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.” – Romans 5:1-2
We are justified by faith. To be justified means to be pronounced or declared righteous. By placing our faith in Jesus, we are declared righteous, and the burden of sin is removed from us. Consequently, we now have peace with God, a peace that is established solely through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Through our faith in Jesus Christ, we not only are declared righteous but also gain access to the grace of God. In our church, grace is simply defined as, “grace does things which we cannot do by ourselves.” The condition is that our faith must be genuine in the Lord.
Because of this new experience through faith and grace, we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God manifesting in our daily lives. However, it’s crucial to remember that tribulations will come. Tribulations are events or circumstances that occur contrary to our hopes. In our church, tribulation is defined as, “anything that comes against your joy in the Lord.”
These tribulations are allowed for a purpose. They bring about patience in us. For example, consider a student who studies diligently for his monthly exam. Despite his hard work, an unpleasant situation at home leads to him failing the exam. If he truly believes in his ability, he will not give up but will study again for the next exam with patience. Similarly, when we have faith in Jesus Christ, we trust that God’s grace will work for us, even if it seems delayed. This delay cultivates patience in us.
Patience, in turn, brings experience. When we wait for the Lord’s timing with patience, we experience God’s faithfulness. This experience strengthens our understanding of God’s character and His love for us. This experience then builds hope in us for greater things to come. It’s a cycle that takes us from small hope to stronger hope.
Today, God wants us to remember this and build our hope to stand strong in the end times.
Prayer
Dear loving Heavenly Father, thank You for Your love and grace. Thank You for teaching us today about the process of building strong hope. Strong hope requires strong faith. Help me to remain steadfast in faith even when things are delayed. I pray in the name of my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, Amen!
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