ICS Daily Devotions
Experience His Grace in the Midst of the Suffering
Romans 5:2a,5 (AMP) Through Him we also have access by faith into this [remarkable state of] grace in which we [firmly and safely and securely] stand…..Such hope [in God’s promises] never disappoints us, because God’s love has been abundantly poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.
We are privileged because we have access by faith to God’s grace in the midst of adversity. In this scripture God reveals to us that when His grace is available, His strength is also made available to us. And we access this grace by faith. God’s Grace = God’s Strength. We need God’s strength to be resilient, especially when surrounded by negative news and experiences.
We also need faith and patience when we are walking out God’s plan and calling for our lives. When we are experiencing an economic downturn which affects our investments and business, our hearts can remain immovable if our faith is established on the spoken word that He had given us before we ventured into a business or made an investment. We can remain unmoved by our circumstances, and continue to seek God’s counsel and leading in our spirit. We can remain stable, strong and resilient. Our relationship with God cannot stay at a superficial level, it needs to deepen into a firm conviction and incorporated into the foundation of our lives. No one can help us to know and experience God except ourselves. There will be a tendency to be overcome by fear and anxiety if we have not built a foundation of knowing Him and His love for us in our lives.
Our faith will be put to the test if we are easily affected by information perceived and received through our senses. We can quickly lose our peace and joy and even start thinking in terms of worst-case scenarios, stay in negativism or spiral into depression if we do not replace negative thoughts flooding our minds with the promises of God. We need God and His word to stabilize us. One of the best decisions we can make when we are in the midst of an adversity, affliction or tribulation is to lean on and trust in the Lord completely. Oftentimes, we need to come to the end of ourselves in order to experience His strength, grace and peace. What keeps us focused, resilient and consistent during these times is knowing God, His love and His calling for us.
Sermon Series: Resilience
