Therefore, since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us. Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this place of undeserved privilege where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God’s glory. We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love.
Romans 5:1-5 (NLT)
I have been waiting for God to show me what aspect of His glory to write about for August, and there was just no clear thoughts about it. In fact, the day before as I prepared to leave, a teammate asked me if I was still going to write the focus for August. I told him I had been praying and waiting on God to drop it into my spirit, but that I didn’t sense a certain direction. The very next morning, on the 31st of July, I woke up early in the morning and immediately began to pray. I had started to pray for people that I knew were in deep waters in their lives. I also was praying about a hardship, or what felt like a block in my own life, that had to do with work in both Habitué and at Side by Side. I was praying in faith, and just talking with God about really trusting Him for what each one needed. Also thanking Him for being the answer, and specifically had called Him out at as the Provider for what I needed at work. Immediately, the phrase popped into my head – Glory in Tribulation!
Well, I had been waiting for a Glory! phrase all month, so I got out of bed and thought it must be time to write. The time was 4:09AM. My mind immediately went to thinking about where it is in scripture. I started the coffee pot, which is part of my early rising with the Lord and went to my spot that is always prepared for early times of prayer and reading, as well as journaling. I had grabbed my phone because I use it to listen to the Daily Audio Bible every morning. As the coffeepot started to grind (one of my favorite sounds!), I went to google and put in- glory in tribulation. So, I began to read Romans 5, as I waited for the coffee to brew. Grabbing my first cup, I went to put it down on the table and I had a text that came through at that exact moment from my sweet friend Liz, at 4:31. It got my attention, as she said, “Are you awake?” She wanted to know if I could have a quick conversation sometime soon. My answer was that I was preparing to begin writing about this topic. Now, Liz and I have conversations early as we both love to connect occasionally about our moments with God in the morning hours. She always blesses me. We don’t get to see each other much because she lives in Minnesota, but we talk and text.
We were texting about whether it should be now or later, and I just whispered a prayer and asked God what I should do. I was thinking I should protect my time to write because it had started to come to me. He said, now. We were talking about a situation that she wanted to know my opinion on, and she transitioned to sharing how God had been so faithful to them in the past season of walking through “cancer, starting a new business, and a pandemic.” It made me chuckle at how she said it, and then she continued on about how it reminded her of Jesus feeding the 5000 with the loaves and fishes. She said that it was a story of this little provision of food, yet it met their need, and it was so mysterious how Jesus does that. She again referenced how in their situation that they had this little nest egg and it should have never been enough for them to make it financially, with these three simultaneous events – cancer, new business, and pandemic – and yet they made it and still have a little left over. I told her that this was exactly what it means to glory in tribulation, and it just builds our faith and we learn so much going through it! We are so much richer for it, and the mystery is so God!
She was doing exactly what the scripture says in Romans 5:2-5. Liz was recounting and praising God, for what He had done in the midst of her hardships, pressures, and troubles. The word glory in this passage is a verb, which means that it is something we are to do. We should not complain and cry and say that life is not fair. We must choose to praise and believe God, even in our own list of hardships; like Liz had done.
What is your list? We all have one! It’s ok, call it out; and then begin to thank and praise God for His love and His timing in what you are going through. Know that there will be a good outcome! It is a sure thing, a promise from God. He is so trustworthy, and He will multiply the little and mysteriously meet your needs. I guarantee you!
- Start to praise God, use His names or aspects of His character every day to focus on.
- Fast complaining, which means stop talking and agreeing with others around you about the conditions of our world, and how it affects you.
- Trust God with your impossibilities; praying in faith and believing that what you need is happening.
- Glory in tribulation? Really?? Just do it and watch what it does in you!
