Day 3

Scripture to Read: Romans 5:3–4

Today, God challenges us about how we are to react to the tests and trials of this life. So many times, when a test or trial hits us, we immediately ask for God’s deliverance, or we might find ourselves complaining, whining, or pouting about how horrible our test or trial is at that moment in our lives. God used Paul to remind us how to deal with our lives' tests, trials, and tribulations. God, through Paul, tells us that with the joy we have in Christ, we are to exult/rejoice/be joyful in our sufferings. So, we’re to rejoice in our hardships. When we first examine this, it seems so contradictory to what we feel, and it should. Our feelings tell us that we should always be comfortable and that life should be easy. But, our feelings lie to us every day. Therefore, we must crucify our feelings and choose to walk in obedience to our Lord. God tells us that our hardships (tests, trials, tribulations) produce incredible benefits. According to God, our hardships produce His patient endurance within us. We see this same Truth in James 1:2–4. God used James to share with believers who were walking through incredible persecution to have joy amid their trials. Through James, God also said that testing our faith produces His endurance in us. God also adds that His perseverance in us produces proven character (spiritual maturity); and proven character, hope, and confident assurance of eternal salvation (Romans 5:4 AMP). So, let’s learn to rejoice and watch God produce His attributes in us.

Challenge & Application

Why is it so hard to rejoice amid our hardships, tests, and trials? How do we begin the process of walking in obedience to our Lord amid our hardships, tests, and trials?

Don’t forget to pray using the A.C.T.S. (Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, Supplication) method!

Devotionals from this week

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Day 1

We begin our walk through Romans 5 over these next two weeks. God has much to teach us as we examine His Word. Today, we unpack Romans 5:1. God the Father, through His Holy Spirit, continues to write His Holy Word through Paul so all may know the fullness of Christ and all He has done for everyone created in His image. The first word in Roman...

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Day 2

Over and over, God lovingly reminds us of how much He loves us and has provided for us in Christ our Lord; that is why we need to be in His Word daily, so we are encouraged, filled with His joy, experience the fullness of His peace, and walk in the freedom we have in Him. If we are not in His Word daily, we miss so much and get incredibly dep...

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Day 3

Today, God challenges us about how we are to react to the tests and trials of this life. So many times, when a test or trial hits us, we immediately ask for God’s deliverance, or we might find ourselves complaining, whining, or pouting about how horrible our test or trial is at that moment in our lives. God used Paul to remind us how to deal ...

Read

Day 4

God continues to encourage us through His abundant grace, love, and mercy, as He uses Paul to share His Truth with us. As we examine Romans 5:5, God unpacks for us His “hope” that is freely given to us through Christ our Lord. Today, people place their “hope” in many things that leave them empty and never satisfied. Of course, nothing this wo...

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Day 5

God gives us great encouragement today as we see all He has done for us through Christ. The first encouragement we read is in Romans 5:6: “While we were still helpless [powerless to provide for our salvation], at the right time Christ died [as a substitute] for the ungodly.” (AMP) As a human race, we are all born with a sinful nature, and we ...

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Day 6

Most people don’t like to talk about the wrath of God. Most people understand why; it’s a subject that brings fear to people's hearts, so they try to avoid the issue altogether. But God talks about His wrath throughout His Word. God wants people to know that His wrath is real and that it is inevitable for those who refuse Christ as Lord of th...

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Day 7

God’s Word has been so encouraging this week. God has reminded us of His precious love for us and how He proved His love through our Lord Jesus Christ. We end with what God shares with us in Romans 5:11, “Not only that, but we also rejoice in God [rejoicing in His love and perfection] through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now re...

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