God Uses Trials for Good; and Inspiring: It Is Well With My Soul
After painting humanity’s sorry
condition, Paul turns to God’s
merciful solution. Jesus’ death on
the cross has paid sin’s penalty and
satisfied God’s righteous demand.
To the one who in faith accepts
Jesus’ payment, God stamps
across the debt of sin: Paid in Full.
That is justification. Its basis is
the work of Christ; its means is
the grace of God; its requirement
is faith in God and His promise.
Knowing his friend Dwight Moody
was going to preach in England in
fall 1871, Horatio Stafford decided
to take his family to England. His
wife & 4 daughters went ahead on
SS Ville and he planned to follow
a few days. But on Atlantic Ocean
the ship was struck by an iron
vessel and sank. 260 lives were lost
including Spafford’s four girls; and
Mrs Spafford cabled her husband:
Saved alone. Horatio Spafford
booked passage on the next ship.
Crossing the Atlantic, the captain
pointed the place where he thot
SS Ville had gone down. And that
night Spafford penned the words:
When sorrows like sea billows roll…
It is well, it is well with my soul;
inspired also by Romans 5.
Lord, we Allow Trials Shape us:
Having been justified by faith,
we have peace with God
through our Lord Jesus Christ,
thru whom we’ve gained access
by faith into this grace(Rom 5:1-2)
We can rejoice when we run into
trials, for they help us to Endure.
And endurance develops strength
of character in us, and character
strengthens confident expectation
of salvation. And this expectation
will Not Disappoint us. For God
loves us dearly (Rom 5:3-4).
Having now been justified by
His blood, we shall be saved
from wrath through Him…
We can rejoice because of what
Jesus has done for us in making
us Friends of God (v9-11). Amen.
Father, I rejoice in my relationship
with You God because of what
Jesus Christ has done for me.
Having an intimate relationship
with Jesus also enables me have
an eternal perspective about
anything that may happen to me.
I gratefully praise You for the joy
& peace such a friendship brings.
In Jesus’ precious name, Amen.
Lord, I place my Hope in You.
I trust that You are working on
my behalf, no matter how difficult
the circumstances can become.
For I believe that You won’t just
put me through trials; but that
You also plan joys for me too.
Please fill me Lord with hope
the kind that comes from Your
Spirit and cannot disappoint. And
help me live in that hope. Amen.
Lord, You want me to Trust You
in the hard times. But rejoicing
isn’t natural for me, so make it
my supernatural response to the
pressures and difficulties in life.
Lord, I surrender and allow myself
to be molded and shaped by trials.
Teach me Lord to Endure so
that my faith will grow steadily
and get stronger over time.
Be Still My Soul & in Your mercy
do restore me Lord and I will
Be Complete In You. Amen.