Not only that, 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. -Romans 5:3-5
We all go through suffering. It’s a hard truth, but one that Jesus didn’t shy away from during His time here on earth. The Bible talks a lot about suffering because it is a very real and difficult part of life. Even as a Christian, Jesus said that we would all experience hardship and loss.
Jesus Himself experienced tremendous suffering during his life, and not just in his death. He experienced hunger, fatigue, betrayal, and grief. He was misunderstood, gossiped and plotted against, slandered, beaten, and unjustly put to death. And yet, Jesus lived with joy. Jesus saw a greater picture. He lived in complete surrender and trust to the good will of His Heavenly Father. But this doesn’t mean that He didn’t feel sorrow and pain.
We can look to Jesus, not only as an example of how to rejoice in suffering, but we can also come to Him freely, knowing that He truly understands us. And when He tells us we can trust that God will use our suffering, we can believe Him.
Today’s scripture tells us that our suffering produces endurance, character, and hope. It also reminds us of the presence of the Holy Spirit and His love which has been poured into our hearts. We cannot forget that as we endure suffering, relying on the power and comfort of the Holy Spirit, God promises to use our suffering for good. Sometimes, when we look back, we can see how God has used the hard seasons in our life for good. And sometimes, we may not get to see this during our lifetime, but we can trust that God is with us. And He is faithful to His promises.
As we endure suffering, we can find joy knowing who God is. And as we spend time in His presence, we will experience true joy that only comes from knowing the goodness of God and the hope we have in Him. We will still walk through pain and hardship just like Jesus did, but we can rest in the joy of knowing Him.
Today’s prayer:
God, thank you for walking with me through every season of my life. As I go through seasons of suffering and hardship, please remind me of your promises. Help me remember who You are and that I can come to you with all of my pain and sorrow. Help me remember the joy I can have in you as I hope in You. In Jesus’s name, amen.