December 2 - Romans 5:3-5

Hope definitely goes hand in hand with the Christmas season. The basis of our entire faith is placed in our hope that a tiny child laid in a manger long ago will eventually provide us the hope for salvation we all are in desperate need of. Despite that truth, many find it difficult to be helpful. In our modern life, we're always apt to encounter something that gets us down. We're lucky to live in the age we do, though, for Romans in Paul's time, their struggle was rooted in simply trying to follow their faith every day. Roman culture, not friendly towards Christians. Belief systems were vastly different, and that led to persecutions for the early church. In Romans 5, 3 through 5. Paul encouraged the church through the following words. Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, 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. Whatever your current scenario, just know God is working it for good. He's giving you a wonderful opportunity to trust in him, even through the darkest of seasons, those struggles, even though they're not fun, help mold us into stronger followers of God. Whatever you're going through this Christmas season. I pray that you'd be encouraged through your struggles, and that God would show himself to you in the most wonderful of ways. May your hope be ultimately found in him.