Wednesday Words of Encouragement

Romans 5:1-5 ~

Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand; and we exult in hope of the glory of God. 

And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope; and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.

Are you feeling hopeless today? Is life crashing in on you and you want to give up? Do you feel as if you might suffocate? Or perhaps you are struggling with feeling unworthy. That no matter how hard you try you can't get it right.

Please remember that if you are a follower of Jesus Christ there is hope! First of all, there is nothing that we can or cannot do to earn our righteousness. Jesus did that all for us on the cross. Because of what Christ did we have been declared righteous in God's eyes. Stop trying to earn it. Stop striving to do good works in order to work your way into heaven. Don't think that because you are in a difficult spot that you need to work harder to earn God's favor. You are justified or made righteous through Jesus' work on the cross. You have been given a right standing before God because of Jesus, not your own good works.

And then as you struggle with life and face those hard times, remember that we have hope even in the middle of trials. If we learn to persevere we gain strength and character which result in hope. As we keep our eyes open and see how God is walking with us through the tough times it provides the perseverance we need to get through the next difficult time.

God loves you and He has given you the Holy Spirit to help you through those times. You are not alone. He is walking with you through the fire. He is beside you and helping you navigate through the difficult times.

Keep moving forward as you keep your eyes on Him. As you rely on Him to see you through your character will develop and your hope will increase. 

Find encouragement in that truth today.