Next Steps Devo – February 19
Monday feels like a great day to start with the concept of perseverance. We have extensively covered suffering and difficulty in life over the past few weeks. These two markers are essential components in the life of a Christ follower. We are promised that we will encounter difficulty in life but find comfort in knowing that we don’t suffer alone and that we serve a God who is working all things for His glory and our good. Our hope surpasses our circumstances.
This morning’s passage further refines that hope. Our pain is refining us, preparing us for eternity by ridding us of idols and calling us to fall on Jesus. We share in His inheritance—eternal glory—not because of our works, but because of His on our behalf.
This morning is not an attempt to minimize pain, and we recognize that it may, at times, feel all but unbearable. However, the hope that pierces into that promise is an invitation to see Christ atoning for our shortcomings and securing our place in His Kingdom. We pray this morning gives you the strength to persevere, rooted not in some religious performance standard, but in an eternal hope.
Have you ever experienced God working in difficult seasons of life? What resources can we use to remind us of God’s faithfulness when we encounter trials?
Let’s Pray: Jesus, I thank you for being a God who knows both pain and suffering. I pray that you would remind me that this truth frees me to walk in trust when I find myself struggling. God, I pray today that you would allow me to see darkness in my life as a loving call to walk in the light you have provided. Thank you for who you are. Give me the strength to persevere so that others may see your goodness through my life. Amen.