Read Romans 5:1–21
Today’s Scripture: We know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. Romans 5:3–4

Suffering builds Christian character. The sequence is: suffering—
perseverance—character—hope. Our English word tribulation comes from the Latin word tribulum. A tribulum was a heavy piece of timber with
spikes in it, used for threshing the grain. The tribulum was drawn over the
grain, and it separated the wheat from the chaff. As we go through
tribulations and depend on God’s grace, the trials only purify us and help to get rid of the chaff.

For many months I visited a young man in a hospital who had almost
burned to death. I do not know how many operations and skin grafts he had during those months or how many specialists visited him. However, the thing that sustained him was not the explanations of the doctors, but the promises they gave him that he would recover. That was his hope.

And the thing that sustained his hope was the love of his family and many friends as they stood by him. The love of God was channeled through them to him. He did recover and today gives glory to God.

Something to Ponder
What is one recent personal trial that helped make you a better, stronger
person? How can personal trials result in your giving glory to God?