“They mount up to the heaven, they go down again to the depths: Their soul is melted because of trouble. They reel to and fro, and stagger like a drunken man, And are at their wits' end. Then they cry unto the LORD in their trouble, And he bringeth them out of their distresses. He maketh the storm a calm, So that the waves thereof are still. Then are they glad because they be quiet; So he bringeth them unto their desired haven.”
Psalm 107:26-30 KJV,https://bible.com/bible/1/psa.107.26-30.KJV
Joy in Hard Times
Nobody enjoys suffering. It’s hard to find joy in the midst of trials or difficult seasons—it’s much easier to feel sadness or misery.
That’s why Paul’s encouragement in Romans 5 may sound contradictory. Paul was writing this to the church in Rome experiencing suffering from ungodly rulers, and yet he encourages them to rejoice in their suffering.
It wasn’t enough to just endure suffering—he tells them to have joy. Paul knew that it wasn’t natural to be joyful in hard times, but through the work of Jesus, Christians have peace with God and access to faith (Romans 5:1-2). Faith allows us to hold onto the hope that suffering isn’t the end of our story.
Because we know that God works within our difficult situations, we can have patience and perseverance for God to complete His work. Perseverance refines our character. As we wait on God, we become people who look more like Jesus, and our trust in God grows stronger. This increases hope within us.
It’s not...