Do you think Abraham always had an easy time trusting God's promises? Do you think Noah ever doubted God when he was being ridiculed for building the ark? Do you think Moses ever wondered what God was doing with him when he spent 40 years in the desert? These patriarchs surely struggled in their faith at times, yet they stand out in the "hall of faith" of Hebrews 11. Because they persevered in their faith, they are remembered.
Faith isn't easy. Peter explains in chapter 1 verse 7, "These [trials] have come so that your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may be proved genuine." Our faith must endure trials to make it stronger, just as gold comes out of a hot furnace more pure than when it went in.
The next time you are facing a difficult time, remember that some trials are God's way of refining your faith. Pray that you will learn more about him through that trial. He will fill you with his "inexpressible and glorious joy."
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