Day 4
Start with Posture of Silence and Solitude (2 minutes)
Read Scripture: Romans 5:1-7
Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.
You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die.
Devotional:
Paul is writing to the church in Rome and lays out some concepts that can be confusing but it helps to remember that there is a two-sided reality of the believer’s life. One one hand, we are one with Christ and accepted as we are. But then on the other hand, we are growing in our faith and becoming more and more like him. We can feel the pleasure of his presence and yet still be tempted by sin. We enjoy the hope that can be found in him yet we still struggle with the daily-ness of life. When we remember these two opposing sides of life as a believer, we will be less discouraged.
Question to Ponder:
When you think about this two-sided reality of a believer’s life, what is the struggle that you see in yourself today?
Prayer:
God. Help me to learn from the struggles and not be undone by the weight of life. I want to depend on the power that you have given me by the Holy Spirit. My relationship with you began with faith and my hope grows as I see a glimmer of your promise given for my future. Let me see your love for me so I can reach out and share my faith and my hope in you with those around me. Amen.
End with Posture of Silence and Solitude (2 minutes)