Good Morning Everyone,
Our theme for this month: “Grace”
Our Bible verse for today: “For our momentary light affliction is producing for us an absolutely incomparable eternal weight of glory. So we do not focus on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.”
2 Corinthians 4:17-18 (HCSB)
Our thought for today: “We experience God’s grace in trials and troubles.”
God’s grace – His abundant blessings freely poured out upon us – is experienced even in the midst of our worst problems. Sometimes that’s hard to believe. Usually when we’re suffering and struggling we wonder where God is in the middle of it all. Seldom do we feel as if we’re being blessed.
But, the Bible is pretty clear that God does indeed bless us even in (maybe especially in) our times of trouble. Read Matthew 6:25-33 and Romans 8:28 for starters.
This morning I want to borrow a teaching from Rick Warren in his book, “What on Earth Am I Here For?” Rick teaches that God actually uses our troubles to transform us. He uses our tough times to grow us spiritually and to make us more like Jesus. Rick writes that, “God has a purpose behind every problem.” “He uses circumstances to develop character.” And, “God uses problems to draw you closer to himself.”
As evidence Rick offers these examples from scripture: “God could have kept Joseph out of jail, kept Daniel out of the lion’s den, kept Jeremiah from being tossed into a slimy pit, kept Paul from being shipwrecked three times, and kept the three Hebrew young men from being thrown into the blazing furnace – but he didn’t. He let those problems happen, and every one of those persons was drawn closer to God as a result.”
It’s often in the middle of our deepest darkest times of trial and despair that we come to know God best. It’s then that we turn to Him, rely on Him, and experience His grace in ways we never have before. And thus, our greatest blessings often come out of our greatest trials.
We’ll conclude today with one more thought from Rick: “Every problem is a character-building opportunity, and the more difficult it is, the greater the potential for building spiritual muscle and moral fiber … What happens outwardly in your life is not as important as what happens inside you.”
I encourage you to look for evidence of God’s grace in the middle of your trials and troubles. It is there. In some way He is blessing you. Learn from this, grow from it.
God Bless,
Pastor Jim
Oak Hill Baptist Church 