Begin with two minutes of silence and stillness before God.
Hardship and sacrifice are inherent to Christian life. When we encounter such challenges, we often want to cry out, “Lord, show me what I am supposed to do with this!”
In 2 Timothy 1:4-5, Paul comments on Timothy’s faith reminding him, “I remember your genuine faith, for you share the faith that first filled your grandmother Lois and your mother, Eunice. And I know that same faith continues strong in you.”
But when these hardships shake our faith, we must be faithful to remember that God is able to give us JOY in the midst of our suffering if we lean on Him.
How can JOY come to us in our time of suffering?
God makes His presence known.
He intercedes on our behalf.
Drawing closer to Him increases the growth in our Christian walk.
We are better able to empathize with our loss as we experience suffering as Christ did.
This hardship engages us further and more closely within our church family.
Finally, He displays His work in and through us to those who need to see.
It made Paul genuinely filled with JOY to remember the faith of faithful men like Timothy, who loved and served Jesus and His people.
Take two minutes to reflect in silence.