Yesterday I read lesson #18 and it is so relevant to a trial we are going through. Below is the lesson -
More than anything else could ever do, the gospel enables me to embrace my tribulations and thereby position myself to gain full benefit from them. For the gospel is the one great permanent circumstance in which I live and move; and every hardship in my life is allowed by God only because it serves His gospel purposes in me. When I view my circumstances in this light, I realize that the gospel in not just one piece of good news that fits into my life somewhere among all the bad. I realize instead that the gospel makes genuinely good news out of every other aspect of my life, including my severest trials. The good news about my trials is that God is forcing them to bow to His gospel purposes and do good unto me by improving my character and making me more conformed to the image of Christ.
Preaching the gospel to myself each day provide a lens through which I can view my trials in this way and see the true cause for rejoicing that exists in them. I can then embrace the trials as friends and allow them to do God's good work in me.
Scripture references:
Romans 5:1-5
Having been justified by faith, we have peach with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, and we exult in the hope of the glory of God. And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perserverance, and perserverance, proven character, and proven character, hope, and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.
Romans 8:28-29
And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. Fr those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son.
James 1:2-4
Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various, trials knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have it perfect result, so that you may e perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.
2 Corinthians 12:7-10
...there was given me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to torment me~to keep me from exalting myself. Concerning this I implored the Lord three times that it might leave me. And He has said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness. Most gladly therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ's sake, for when I am weak, then I am strong.
I am definitely not to the joyful, patient stage of this current tribulation in my life.
I am thankful for ~
the truth of Gods word
support
love
caring words
keeping busy
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Welcome to the farm ~ we are a blended family with 7 children (3 are married), 4 grandsons, 5 dogs, 3 rabbits, and 15 chickens living on 3 acres in Georgia. I love crafting, sewing, cooking & canning, recipes of all kinds, reading, playing with my little buddies, family time, travel, pinterest and most of all the Lord.