Romans 5:1-5

In trying out the idea of life verses with the guys at our church’s Tuesday noon Men’s Lunch, they were more than willing to share some of the verses that had become the anthems for their lives. One of our regular participants shared how a scripture from James 1:2-4 helped him face some of life’s more challenging moments:

 ² Count it all joy, my brethren, when you meet various trials, ³ for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. ⁴ And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

James 1:2-4

This verse seemed to trigger a scripture that I had turned to from time to time when life wasn’t going just as I had planned:

³ More than that, we^[d] rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, ⁴ and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, ⁵ and hope does not disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit which has been given to us.

Romans 5:2-5

There have been those instances where I wondered “why”, when I might have done well to also ask “What can I gain from what I am experiencing?”

Endurance produces character.

Prayer

Help me, Loving God, to endure the difficult times in life, hoping and trusting in Your presence, as I walk the path of discipleship with my Lord and Savior Jesus, in whose name I pray. Amen.