Confidence Through Trials

A passage of Scripture caught my attention during this past week's Sunday School lesson. It wasn't the focus passage, just a passing reference in the middle of the lesson, but the power of the verses stopped me in my tracks and made me want to take some time to study them in more depth. 


Romans 5:2-5 - and we exult in hope of the glory of God.
 ³And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance;
 ⁴and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope;
 ⁵and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us


I have to be honest with you. Verse 3 is hard for me to read......the last few years have been filled with tribulations concerning David's health, and exulting (glorying, boasting) in those seems sometimes way too difficult to do. But even though this verse is hard to do, I can see how God has been slowing taking me through the process of persevering through the dark and difficult times, and getting to a place where my hope is not placed in the security of my circumstances or my situation, but in the security of who God is and the hope of my eternal salvation.

In studying these verses this morning, I came across this article by Bob Deffinbaugh. In this previous post, I quoted from another great article that I read by Mr. Deffinbaugh. The article is entitled The Benefits of Justification based on the same passage of Scripture that I was reading, Romans 5:1-11.  This section of the article jumped out at me:

We hardly need to be convinced to rejoice in times of peace and prosperity. But establishing that Christians can and should boast in their tribulations takes proof. Paul sets out to do just this in verses 3b-8 as he demonstrates the basis for boasting in tribulation on two different grounds. The first proof is found in verses 3b-4, where Paul informs us that we can rightly boast in what God produces in us, by means of our tribulations. The second proof is given in verses 5-8 as Paul writes of that which God has done within us, through His Holy Spirit, based upon our justification.

The Christian should rejoice in his tribulations because of what these are producing in him (verses 3b-4). Tribulation produces “perseverance.” God’s resources are more than sufficient to sustain the Christian, even as he faces adversity and difficulty. As a result, endurance over time produces perseverance—staying power. Likewise, perseverance produces “proven character.” Over a period of time, endurance becomes a state of mind and reflects one’s true character. What we really are becomes most evident in our response to adversity over the long term. Proven character, in turn, produces “hope.” Seeing that we can endure, and that our character has been strengthened in the process of facing life’s trials, we become more and more certain of the future. As we see God’s provisions for the present sustaining us, even in the most difficult circumstances, we become confident that God will surely sustain us to the end. He is the Author, the Sustainer, and the Finisher of our faith.

I am still learning to place my hope in God through the daily struggles of tribulation.  Some days I rejoice greatly. Other days it's a minute-to-minute struggle to remind myself that God is faithful to sustain me, that my salvation is secure and that these seemingly endless struggles are but a glimmer in light of eternity.