Written by bruce r. mills for “God’s group” @ www.Godsmanforever.com [Revised from 7/24/2019]
“Finding Joy Through Trials !!”
Romans 5:1, 3-5… Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. 3 Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, 4 and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, 5 and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. (ESV)
I know the thought of being able to find joy through life’s most difficult trial, sounds impossible… But nothing is impossible for God…(Matthew 19:26)
People living in the world (all who are not yet “born again” Christians)…will in NO WAY be able to find joy through their trials… This is because this joy is a supernatural God given joy, that is produced when “God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.”
Yes it is the Holy Spirit that will produce joy in our hearts through the toughest trial…along with the other 8 supernatural Spiritual fruit the apostle Paul pens in the following scripture…
Galatians 5:22-23… But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. (ESV)
Wouldn’t it be amazing to be able to experience all of these “Christ like” characteristics ?? This Spiritual fruit, much like fruit trees…takes time to develop and mature… And these “Christ like” characteristics will grow and develop at different paces and different levels for the Christian who is doing their best to walk in and by the power of the Holy Spirit living within them…
But, my friends…there is one thing that God wants from His redeemed children, before they will be able to experience the blessings of “the fruit of the Spirit”… You can be a “born again” Christian…but God is not going to bless you with “love, joy, & peace” or any other Spiritual fruit…when you have willful unrepentant sin in your heart… God hates sin, and our fellowship with the Lord is broken, when we have unconfessed sin residing in our heart…
Psalm 66:18… If I regard iniquity in my heart, The Lord will not hear. (NKJV)
We can regain our fellowship with the Lord, by confessing, repenting, and turning from our sins… The apostle John pens this, in…1 John 1:9… If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (ESV)
Once our sins have been confessed, repented of, and turned from…we are again filled with the Holy Spirit, as the apostle Paul tells the believers in Ephesus this, in…
Ephesians 5:18-20… And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit, 19 addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, 20 giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, (ESV)
You see…even though we as believers have the Holy Spirit living within us…if He is not in total control of our lives, we are not filled with the Spirit… God wants to be in total control of our lives… God wants us to be humble, and look to Him through the guidance of the Holy Spirit He has given us, to live “Christ centered”, Spirit filled lives…
The apostle Paul pens this, in…Galatians 5:16… But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. (ESV) My friends, this is perhaps the most important scripture verse in the Bible, for the “born again” Christian… It is not a suggestion by the apostle Paul… It is a walk with the Lord that becomes habitual and deliberate…as we humble ourselves and allow the Holy Spirit to guide and direct our every thought, action, word, and deed…
For more on walking in and by the full power of the Holy Spirit…I urge you to look at Reference 1) for a commentary of Galatians 5:16… You will better understand this moment by moment walk we can have with the Lord, and you will hopefully be blessed !!
Once you understand that God is sovereign…and that He never makes any mistakes…you should look at the trials in your life in a new light… The light of Christ !! The apostle James pens this, in…
James 1:2-4… My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, 3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. 4 But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. (NKJV)
This scripture goes right along with scripture found in the opening verses, in…Romans 5:3-4a… Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, 4 and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, 5 and hope does not put us to shame, (ESV)
There you have it my friends… The source for being able to find joy, even though the darkest days of your life !! It is God’s power and His grace given to every believer…who looks to Jesus and His finished work on the cross… Look to the promises made by God to His children, who live their lives in obedience to the Word, through the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit !! You WILL be able to find joy in every situation !!
Heavenly Father…I am ever so thankful for the Bible You have given to us, for us to read and then apply to our daily lives… Your Son Jesus Christ is the author and finisher of our faith…(Hebrews 12:2 – NKJV)
Help us Father, to spiritually feed upon Your Word…hopefully every day…(Matthew 4:4 & Luke 4:4) Convict us Father, through the indwelling Holy Spirit You have given to each and every one of Your redeemed children…to open our ears, and to hear and to follow the leading of the Holy Spirit… I thank You and praise You now for the lives Your Word and the Holy Spirit will change, in the name of Your Son Jesus Christ, and for His sake…Amen…
Blessings in Christ, bruce
References:
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P.S. (from bruce) When there is no other place to turn…turn to God !! If you’re not a “born again” Christian, is the Holy Spirit urging you to open this link ?? Here is the truth about how God’s grace is received to become a Christian in God’s eyes; through understanding and obeying the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ… https://godsmanforever.com
To my brothers and sisters in Christ, please feel free to share this message of the cross with those in need…
Picture credit: https://www.google.com/search?sxsrf=ALeKk02fw5L-IcGH989vXS1WZ1N0LxqhGw:1628338814020&source=univ&tbm=isch&q=image+Romans+15:13&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjEg9Xk8p7yAhUQac0KHeuHBTYQjJkEegQIBxAC&biw=1319&bih=927#imgrc=ODBDims1USdAqM
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About Godsmanforever
I present posts about God's Word, with a personal focus on how God's grace is received through saving faith in the Lord Jesus Christ... Sinners must understand and obey the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ... See this link for more...
https://godsmanforever.com/2014/10/26/the-truth-about-sin-10262014-by-bruce-reposted-from-7112013/
God's group 