Devotional

It Won't Always Be Bad

Ready 

“And not only that, but we also boast in our afflictions, because we know that affliction produces endurance, endurance produces proven character, and proven character produces hope. This hope will not disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.” – Romans 5:3-5

Set 

It’s not very often that we are thankful for losing a game. Even rarer do we see gratitude from injury or trial in life.

We can be upset, angry and confused when trials come our way. Physical injury or emotional struggles do not have to be immediately met with positivity and encouragement. When someone first has a career-ending injury, the first thing you say is not, “Oh, there will be so much good come from this!” Grieving and being upset is OK, but we cannot stay in that season for too long. We need to know this truth from Scripture.

When we are in a season of hardship, not all is lost. We can be thankful for what this affliction will bring us. For example, an injury with the right mindset can produce endurance, renewed strength, a renewed passion for your sport, and many more positive outcomes that we cannot see.

In Romans, Paul is constantly going through trials and affiliations, and he writes to the church in Rome that even though life is hard, He can see the good that can and will grow from this challenging situation. Paul trusts that God has a plan much more prominent than anything we can see.

We go through trials because we live in a sinful world, but God is sovereign and can take this earth’s worst trial and bring so much goodness. Let’s look beyond today’s pain and place our hope in the goodness of the future that we know God is moving and working in.

Go 
  • What is a current trial in your life right now?
  • Are you able to see God’s goodness in this trial?
  • Think back on a time when goodness came from a past trial. How can that help in future ones?
Overtime 

“Lord, You are sovereign and much bigger than we could ever imagine. We may only see 10 of the thousands of things You are doing in our lives each day. Help us today to be reminded that You never leave us and are with us in the trials. Help us see the future better and trust that You have everything in Your hands. Amen.”