We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed and broken. We are perplexed, but we don't give up and quit. We are hunted down, but God never abandons us. We get knocked down, but we get up again and keep going.
2 Corinthians 4:8-9 (NLT)
This week’s devotional, “Rocky Road”, is not about chocolate ice cream with gooey marshmallows and sprinkled in nuts. It is about another type of rocky road—your daily walk with Jesus Christ.
In your Christian walk, you will face boulders and mountains of trials and temptations. But friend, I can guarantee you one thing. If you give God complete control over your life and truly believe in Him, He will sustain you as you crash through those boulders or blast through those mountains.
I am not saying that you will come out unscathed through all of life’s battles. You may, in fact, come out black and blue with multiple bruises and scars; but you will also become stronger and wiser.
Trials, temptations, and persecutions will happen in your life. But through them all, God will be with you. In 2 Corinthians 4:8-9, apostle Paul talks about going through trials. Troubles chased him from every direction. He was beaten (Acts 14:19), persecuted (Acts 16:20-24), and insulted (Acts 18:5-13). Yet he survived. Each step of the way, God was with Paul.
God never abandoned Paul, and He will never abandon you. If you totally surrender your life to God, as Paul did, God will carry you through this rocky road of life.
Every Christian will go through problems (1 Corinthians 10:13). You are not exempt. In fact, James 1:2 tells you to be joyful when trials come your way. Those trials will increase your faith, patience, and endurance as they refine and strengthen your walk with God (James 1:2-4). Slowly and progressively as you begin to triumph over each trial, you also begin to transform into God’s image and your life starts to reflect His glory (2 Corinthians 3:18).
When your life reflects God’s glory, people see your faith in action. They can observe your reaction as each new trial comes your way. Confidently you can face each trial because you know that God is with you. He loves you and He will not send anything that you cannot conquer through His power (1 Corinthians 10:13).
Although you may encounter boulders and mountains of trials and temptations along this rocky road of life, God will empower you to rise victorious over them all. With each new victory, you become closer to God. You also become wiser and in the future, you may even be able to evade similar battles. Further, you will learn how to help fellow Christians when they too face the same problems. You can teach them that it was God’s strength and His power that enabled you to overcome those mountains. Likewise, they too can overcome if they will have faith, trust, and rely upon God.
Not only will your problems help fellow Christians, those problems can even help unbelievers. People, who do not currently believe in Jesus Christ, can learn from your example that there is a greater power in this world that can help them conquer life’s problems. That power is Jesus.
Three key concepts:
1. People can see God’s power through your reactions to life’s problems.
2. Through God’s Holy Spirit, you can be victorious over life’s obstacles.
3. Life’s obstacles helps refine, strengthen, and transform you into God’s image.
