from Gary Hamrick
... Senior Pastor of Cornerstone Chapel

... The Lord often strengthens our souls through the very trials we would have chosen to avoid

Acts 14:22 NKJV (devotion translation)

Paul understood that following Christ would not lead to an easy life. As he traveled from city to city preaching the gospel, he encountered opposition, rejection, and suffering. In Lystra, after God healed a man who had never walked, the crowd first praised Paul and Barnabas as gods, then quickly turned against them and stoned Paul nearly to death. Yet after recovering, Paul returned to strengthen the believers and encourage them to remain faithful.

What gave Paul such endurance was not confidence in himself, but confidence in the Lord. He knew that hardship is not evidence that God has abandoned His people. Rather, trials often become the means by which God deepens faith, shapes character, and teaches dependence upon Him. The Christian life is not free from suffering, but it is never without purpose.

Scripture repeatedly reminds us that God uses adversity for our spiritual growth. Trials teach patience because they force us to wait upon the Lord. They produce perseverance because faith must continue even when circumstances are difficult. They give perspective because suffering loosens our grip on temporary things and fixes our eyes on eternity. Most importantly, hardships remind us of the presence of God. In seasons of ease we can become self-reliant, but in weakness we often draw near to the Lord in deeper ways.

Jesus never promised His followers a trouble-free life. He promised His presence in the midst of it. The same Savior who suffered for us now walks with us through every burden we face. Nothing that comes into the believer’s life is outside His sovereign care.

Lord, help me to trust You in every hardship and to remain faithful when trials come. Strengthen my heart through Your presence and teach me to walk closely with You each day. Amen.

• Acts 14:19-22 - After being stoned in Lystra, Paul returned to strengthen believers and taught that tribulations accompany the Christian life.
• John 16:33 - Jesus warned that believers would face tribulation but can take courage because He has overcome the world.
• Romans 5:3-5 - Suffering produces perseverance, character, and hope through the work of God.
• James 1:2-4 - Trials test faith and develop spiritual maturity and endurance.
• 1 Peter 1:6-7 - Trials refine faith like gold and bring glory to Christ.
• 2 Corinthians 12:9-10 - God’s strength is displayed most clearly in human weakness.
• Hebrews 12:1-3 - Believers are encouraged to endure hardship by fixing their eyes on Jesus.
• Psalms 34:19 - The righteous face many afflictions, but the Lord delivers them.
• Isaiah 43:2 - God promises His presence with His people as they pass through trials and difficulties.