[Christ] learned obedience through what he suffered. —Hebrews 5:8
We’re used to instant everything—even when it comes to prayer. Often, we pray for God to deliver us from a situation, but we don’t want to change our lifestyle. We just want instant results.
The truth is that life is hard. We live in a fallen world. Even the redeemed have to deal with temptation, disease, pain, and death. Becoming a Christian doesn’t wrap us up in some sort of cocoon. Not until God makes a new heaven and new earth will we be totally free from the ravages of sin.
But here’s the good news: God is willing to walk with us through every difficult situation. In the process, He’ll teach us to trust Him more. He uses those pressures to make us more like Jesus.
No matter what you’re going through, don’t get discouraged. There’s nothing wrong with asking God to take it away, but we also can ask to see Him more clearly through the trial. In the process of waiting, you may come to know God in a way that wouldn’t otherwise have been possible.
Make it Personal
Ask God to use any current difficulties to help you come to know Him more intimately.