Devotion:
Read Romans 15:13.
Very recently, I was leading an in-person discussion in a Bible study in one of our groups at Christ Church. As we discussed a verse about keeping our faith in the face of adversity, I asked the group what happens when we go through a really difficult time and we do not give up but rather keep our faith. “What do you get as a result of this?” I asked. The answer I was thinking of was more along the lines of perseverance, conviction, and even stronger faith; but a man in the group answered with deep feeling and real confidence, “You get peace!” His was not the hypothetical answer of someone giving the expected answer drawn from the passage we had just read. This was the voice of lived experience as someone who has been going through and is still going through a very difficult health challenge. I swallowed hard and learned from him. That happens a lot when I “teach!”
His answer would make absolutely no sense to a nonbeliever! How can suffering and pain and all the struggles of difficult treatment bring peace? Christians believe in a God of hope, as Paul describes in today’s verse. When we trust in God’s grace and keep our faith in all circumstances, God fills us with joy and peace.
Personal Worship Option:
Almighty God, I know that I can trust in you. I know that you love me without me doing anything to earn your love. So, help me to trust you more completely and to receive the hope, joy, and peace you offer to me. Amen.
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