The Purpose Of Hardships

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DAILY VITAMIN

- The Purpose of Hardships

"Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds." (James 1:2 NIV)

The Bible says God never willingly afflicts the children of His name (Lam 3:33). If this be so, then why does He permit persecution upon them? Why doesn't He let them live a life free of suffering? Well, we are told that in time we shall have such a life; a life without gnashing of teeth or suffering (Rev 21:4); however in this present world we must endure with it, because everything has a purpose, even hardships.

Our opening scripture encourages the acceptance of hardships joyfully because they too have a purpose. God made the trees to give us food and oxygen; in the same way He permits hardships to bring us into perfection. The subsequent verses tell us that this happens through the trying of our faith; and faith when tried refines patience unto perfection in us until we are entirely complete as God expects us to be (v.3-4). Recall that even gold is refined in unpleasantness, and God promised to refine us as gold (Isaiah 48:10)- that is, through affliction.

Hence, understand that even what you're going through has a purpose for being, and once the purpose has been fulfilled it will vanish. God used Joseph's situation to take him upward. Same as Moses, David and the Lord Jesus. This hardship will not destroy you. It isn't meant to; but to refine you. Don't get used to it, just work out capacity through it; and when you have succeeded in doing that, you will be set up for greatness. And so it shall be, Amen.

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