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Romans 5:1-5, 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.

Paul begins this chapter with a list of statements, which are all positive consequences, of becoming justified through faith or receiving salvation through Jesus Christ. Now, we can have peace with God. We can boast in the hope of God. We can rejoice in our sufferings because those pressures and hardships will produce perseverance. (Perseverance is the persistence we develop as we deal with struggles.) Developing perseverance will develop our character and character leads to hope.

Wow! What a chain of events. Some of you might be reading this and say, "But I don't want to have to go through suffering and hardships in order to produce perseverance and character!" But think about your life. We can know that as human beings living in a broken world, hardships are going to happen. I'm sure you have already experienced your share. As people of faith, we can know that we know that we aren't dealing with these struggles alone. God is with us and God is at work within us, filling us with his peace (Paul speaks of this peace not just here but in many of his letters). Maybe you've experienced it. It's the peace that passes all understanding, that only makes sense connected to Jesus. Have you ever been in a really, really hard situation and you felt totally at peace even though the situation was crummy and the outcome uncertain? That's God's peace at work.

In the midst of these kinds of circumstances, God does something within his people, strengthens us spiritually and grows our character, allowing us to persevere. When we persevere, we experience hope. What's our hope based in? God's love. We don't give up because we know that God's love never gives up. It is always present, always at work, always right there with us. God's love means we will never be alone, that we can rejoice in the midst of tribulation, and that we know that this world isn't all there is. I'll take that.

Let's pray...Thank you for the peace that only comes with a relationship with you, Lord Jesus. In the midst of struggles, help us remember that you are with us, working in us, and that your love never gives up. In Jesus' Name, Amen.