Rejoice in Hope

Romans 5:1-5
Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ; By whom also we have access by faith in to this grace where we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. And not only so, but we rejoice in trials also; knowing that trials work patience; and patience, experience; and experience, hope. And hope makes us not ashamed; because the love of God is spread in our hearts by the Holy Spirit which is given to us.

I am so thankful to have hope, given to me by my faith in the Lord Jesus. I'm not sure that I have reached the place where I can rejoice in trials, but I can understand them now. I used to think of a trial as kind of a punishment, and I would go thru it complaining and thrashing. By seeking the Lord thru reading His Word, reading other Christian women's blogs, reading several Christian sites and books by Christian authors, such as Billy Graham, I have come to understand that trials are a test of my faith and God only tests those He loves. If I didn't have an opportunity to exercise my faith, how would I ever develop spiritual muscles? And by these trials, God promises patience, which gives me experience and by these experiences, God gives me hope.

So during trials, I can rejoice in hope. That hope dispels fear which is what holds me back from living my fullest life. It gives me freedom to be completely alive in the Lord and experience grace. Things don't happen to me, I am not a victim. I decide.

Wherever I am in my journey here on earth, each day, life offers a variety of paths. At each fork in the road, I decide which path to take. Some decisions are minor, while others are life changing. I can't let life get so hectic that I am preoccupied with only immediate concerns and am unable to step back and see the whole picture. I will stop struggling to have my own way and submit to God's will for my life. My hope is for joy and purpose with even the most ordinary events being part of His plan for my life. I take His hand each morning and ask Him to lead me on the journey.

Lord, I love you and I am so thankful that I can wake up early and spend time with You at the beginning of my day. I want to do Your will and will rejoice in trials as you guide me in Your Ways.