I have been struggling trying to find a way to start this blog for a few days. I knew what I felt led to write about but could not find the right way to start it. But God (I love when I get to use that phrase) was gracious enough to reveal it to me this past Sunday. I sat in Sunday School and the teacher opened with the scripture from Romans 5 saying “we glory in tribulations”. The question was asked of how often do we really rejoice in our tribulations?
The definition of glory is “adoring praise or worshipful thanksgiving”. We so often confuse that with rejoicing meaning we must be joyful and glad, but, we must simply praise and worship God through them. It’s fitting for me since exactly 3 years ago, God challenged me with just that. As I struggled with understanding what was happening with my youngest child, God asked me if I could praise Him through it.
I recently found a new song called “Isaac” by Hollyn. It is special to me since I identify so strongly to Abraham with Virginia being my Isaac. In the song she sings, “I have loved him before you have.” I think about Abraham’s internal struggle as he bound his son and laid him on the altar. I think about God telling Abraham that He loved Isaac far before Abraham did. And I believe in that Abraham found the strength to praise God during that tribulation.
My mind wanders back to my own internal struggle. My unwillingness to let go of my daughter and give her back to the God who loved her before I did. I didn’t understand Romans 5:3 or rather I didn’t want to. How could I rejoice or find joy in my circumstance? But God released me from the misunderstanding and explained to me that I must only praise Him.
My circumstances did not change. My daughter’s life was still in question. The doctors could still give us no real answers. All we could do was wait. But as I was able to “glory” in the waiting. I found hope just as Romans 5:4 said I would. The definition of hope is “to believe, desire or trust”. I believed that God would take care of her. I desired to praise Him. I trusted that all things would work out exactly as He intended.
Whatever trial you face, do not worry about being joyful through it. In fact, it’s okay to be broken and sorrowful. But take your sorrow to your Father and turn it into praise. We glory in the tribulation so that we may rejoice with Him afterward.
“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.” Romans 5:3-5
Sunshine and Whispers 