#TuesdayTruth Romans 12:12

Romans 12:12

“Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.”

This verse. This short, simple, verse, is packed full of wisdom and encouragement.

Why are we joyful? Because we know the reason for our hope. We know the Savior’s grace, His gift, His love for us. No matter what this life holds, there is this one particular certainty that reaches beyond all the trouble of this life into forever- our Heavenly Father loves us more than we can fully comprehend, and has offered us the opportunity to spend eternity with Him in a place that is lovely and perfect beyond our wildest dreams. This is hope.

Is life hard? Absolutely. Affliction is “something that causes pain or suffering.” It is just one of those things that we know we will experience here on earth, but we are patient. Why are we patient? Because we know there is a reason for it (“…we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.” Romans 5:3-4). We trust His infinite wisdom.

What do we do when we are in the midst of these moments of “affliction?” We go to our Father and talk to Him about it. We praise Him for His goodness, His kindness, His faithfulness, and the eternal gift that gives us hope. We ask Him for comfort, for peace, for guidance, and for understanding. At the end of it all, we can thank Him for the hope and the joy that we hold, despite the hard times.

Heavenly Father,

Thank you for the true JOY that we have because of our HOPE in you. Thank you for walking with us in the midst of the hard times. Thank you that we can talk to you anytime, anywhere, as often as we want/need. You truly are a good, good, Father.

We love you Father, Amen.