Devotional: Diamonds For The Lord
Rejoicing in trials knowing God produces Godly character
And not only this,
but [with joy] let us exult in our sufferings and rejoice in our hardships, knowing that hardship (distress,
pressure, trouble) produces patient endurance; and endurance, proven character (spiritual maturity); and
proven character, hope and confident assurance [of eternal salvation]. - Romans 5:3-4 (AMP)
Suffering is never pleasant
to go through—but go through it, we all do! This verse can be a real encouragement to us when we face suffering and
trials of various kinds—for what it produces in us. We can liken our sufferings
to the process a natural diamond goes through in its development. Over a very long period, deep in the earth's
core, it endures immense pressure and heat, but what emerges as a result is a beautiful, precious gem. In life,
we are hard-pressed, we face trials and undergo the testing of our faith, we face mistreatment and persecution—we
suffer! But we need to remember that God's loving eyes are ever watching us, and He is very much aware of our pain
when immense pressure presses down on us. He lovingly allows the hardships of life to produce in us 'spiritual
maturity'. He uses these times to mould us and shape us into His image. Much of our spiritual growth comes out
of adversity, and this is why we can rejoice in our suffering—because we know what will be developed in us as a
result. We need to remind ourselves of that when going through trials and suffering. We need to lift our eyes
to Jesus, and we do this through praise and thanksgiving—because as we praise and thank the Lord, our focus is on
Him, not our problems. If we continue to look at the trial, it becomes much bigger in our minds than what it really
is. This is why we are often encouraged in Scripture to give our concerns and cares to Him—with thanksgiving
(Philippians 4:6; 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18).
When we praise the Lord and give thanks to Him, He gives us His peace. It's easy to slip into
depression when our eyes are focused on our circumstances and our suffering—because feelings of hopelessness
begin to invade our thoughts. When this happens, it can open the door for the enemy to sow lies and deceit into
our minds, causing it to become all-consuming in our thinking—so that it even crowds out God. We then start to
pull away from others—and even pull away from our loving heavenly Father—which makes it even more debilitating.
This is one of Satan's strategies—to isolate us so we won't hear the truth. We mustn't let this happen, and it
doesn't need to spiral like that. We don't have to go
through suffering with such torment in our minds that it becomes so hard to even function normally in everyday
living. We can still rejoice in the Lord and experience His joy and peace as we walk with Him through it. It comes down
to what we choose to focus on and what we tell ourselves. I encourage you to choose
to praise and thank the Lord—even when you don't feel like it and don't want to. Develop a habit of praise and
thanksgiving in your everyday life—I do believe this is key to overcoming the enemy and to be able to rejoice in
hardships. As we practice this when the pressure and heat is on, we emerge as diamonds for the Lord! © By M.S.Lowndes
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