FCA ResourcesDevotional
There Can Be Tears
Ready
“Now from Miletus, he sent to Ephesus and summoned the elders of the church. When they came to him, he said to them, “You know, from the first day I set foot in Asia, how I was with you the whole time, serving the Lord with all humility, with tears, and during the trials that came to me through the plots of the Jews.” – Acts 20:17-19
Set
To complete an Iron Man race, you must swim 2.4 miles, bike 112, and run 26.2 miles. These races are not meant for the faint of heart; one must train each day for many months to achieve this daunting task.
I would imagine there are many ups and downs when training for an Iron Man. There will be days when training goes well and others when it might end in tears and doubt, if this is achievable. Just because there are hard days doesn’t mean you quit; you push through knowing that the ultimate end goal is worth the current pain.
Did you know that once you become a Christian, there will still be hard days? Even when working for Christ and His kingdom, you will have days you wonder if it is worth it. Being a Christian doesn’t mean life will be easy; if it is, then you might not be pursuing Christ the way you should. John 16:33 says, “I have told you these things so that in me you may have peace. You will have suffering in this world. Be courageous! I have conquered the world.” We are told we will experience hardships; this was even true for the Apostle Paul.
In our Scripture above, we see that even when Paul worked for the Lord, his trials produced tears. It’s refreshing to know that even the most dedicated servant of the Lord had days that made him sad. This means we shouldn’t get too upset when hard days come; they will come and go, but Christ will always remain the same.
Know in your head that trials will come but know in your heart that God is right there with you through them.
Go
- How do you react when hardship comes your way?
- How do you feel knowing that you will have hardship in life?
- Do you feel like you can bring your tears to the Lord?
Overtime
“God, You know each tear we cry and are with us in our worst days. Remind us that when things are hard, we can come to You, and You will provide comfort. Let us not stop doing work for the Kingdom due to the hardships of this world. Give us the courage to keep fighting, knowing the prize is worth the struggles. Amen.”
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