ROMANS 5
3. Moreover – let us also be full of joy now! Let us exult and triumph in our troubles and rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that pressure and affliction and hardship produce patient and unswerving endurance.
4. And endurance develops maturity of character that is, faith and tried integrity. And character of this sort produces the habit of joyful and confident hope of eternal salvation.
5. Such hope never disappoints or deludes or shames us, for God’s love has been poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit Who has been given to us. Amp.C.
The Lord loves to bless us. But His ways are not our ways. Many times, we misinterpret what He is trying to do in us. I don’t believe I have ever rejoiced in my troubles at first. It always takes a while for me to see the good. I know in my heart the Lord will bring good out of it. But I cannot truly rejoice at first.
Now I can look at the trouble and believe I won’t have to go through that again and that causes me to rejoice. I believe once we endure certain painful things we do not have to repeat them. The Lord says, “that’s enough.” I need a reason to rejoice. Suffering is not a good reason for me. I have trouble seeing a stronger me. I believe one day I will be able to rejoice the way He wants me to. But for now, I can always rejoice in His goodness.
We can always be happy about the love He has poured into our hearts. There is nothing better. I know of no other way to get it. We cannot buy it or even steal it. We must wait for Him to give. it. And I repeat, there is nothing better!