And not only that, but we also rejoice in our afflictions, because we know that affliction produces endurance, endurance produces proven character, and proven character produces hope. This hope will not disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.     Romans 5:3-5 HCSB

Have you ever rejoiced in your afflictions? Be honest. Have you ever been going through a time of trial and tribulation and said, “Thank you God, praise Jesus for these hard times I’m going through!”? I must admit, I’m still not really good at that, but I’m learning.

If you are a Christian, meaning you are following Christ, you know when you face hard times you are not alone. He is right there beside you. There are numerous Scripture passages which tell us not to be afraid. There are numerous Scripture passages that tell us He is there with us and will not leave us nor forsake us.

Why should we rejoice when we face hard times? Well, Paul explains this in Romans 5:1-2 when he says, “Therefore, since we have been declared righteous by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” He goes on to say, “We have also obtained access through Him by faith into this grace which we stand, and we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God.”

We have access to God through our faith in Jesus Christ. We have been adopted into His grace and can rejoice in the hope that is found only in Him. This is why we can rejoice as we go through hard times.

We can rejoice because we serve an all powerful God. There is nothing He can’t do. We can rejoice because He is working things out for us. Romans 8:28 tells us all things work for the good of those who love the Lord and are called according to His purpose.

I’ve had a lot of learning experiences in my life. I have faced many trials and tribulations. After all, our lives are just a series of highs and lows. For many years how I felt during these highs and lows determined how I handled any given situation.

I have learned, however, that I must not rely on my feelings because they are fickle. They change. I must rely on God who is constant and never changes. Hebrews 13:8 tells us Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow.

Hard times are an opportunity for growth. Hard times are an opportunity for us to watch God as He works. Our trials and tribulations teach us. There is much to be learned when we go through these trying times.

Think about any accomplishments you have made in your life. Our accomplishments come at a price. They require time and effort. They require a learning process.

Our Christianity is no different. It’s a learning process. We must learn to trust in Him. We must learn to stay focused on Him in good times as well as in bad. Through difficult times, we learn to lean on Him.

I look back on the hard times I have been through. I won’t say I enjoyed them, I can’t lie to you. But I can say I have learned a great deal from them. Best of all, they have produced spiritual growth. I can honestly say they have produced endurance, character and hope. I can also say this hope has never disappointed me because through it all I have experienced the goodness of God’s love and the help of the Holy Spirit.

I can’t say the first thing I do in a trial is rejoice and be ecstatic that I am facing tribulations, but I am learning to trust in Him. I am learning that as long as I have Him I have hope and He will work it all out for my good. I am learning to endure knowing that He has good plans for me (Jeremiah 29:1-11).

This hope gives me peace in the hard times. It helps me to get through them knowing He is right there beside me.

He wants to do the same for you if you will only trust Him.

Have a great day!