How do you get through tough times? There are many among us who are going through some very difficult situations. How do you get through it all? What keeps you going?
Paul writes in Romans chapter 5 that because we have been justified by faith in Christ, because we have peace with God through Christ, and because we are standing in His grace, we can rejoice in hope. As Christians, we can rejoice, even in our tribulations, because we know that they are bringing us closer to God. We can rejoice in tribulations, knowing that “tribulation brings about perseverance; and perseverance, proven character, and proven character, hope…” (Romans 5:3-4 NASB95) And hope helps get us through every challenge. We have hope in Jesus! We can be growing in that precious hope—that confident expectation that one day God will make all things right, that He will wipe away every tear, that we will live with Him eternally.
But hope is something that you cannot see (Romans 8:24-25). We hope for things that will happen in the future—things that certainly will not disappoint us. But the challenges we face are happening now. Is there anything that can help us to persevere now?
This is where the work of the Holy Spirit comes in. “And hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.” (Romans 5:5 NASB95) The Spirit was given to those in Christ to help them in the here and now. He does this by pouring the love of God into our hearts. When we go through trials and heartache, God knows that it is critical that we have a deep, abiding sense of His love for us. His love for you is something that can be known and experienced. The experience of His love helps us to get through the hard times while we wait in hope for all He has promised us.
We learn something similar in the third chapter of Ephesians. Paul prays for the brethren that they would be strengthened in their inner being through the Holy Spirit, so that Christ would dwell in their hearts, that they would be rooted and grounded in love, and so that they would be able to comprehend the incalculable dimensions of Christ’s love. (Ephesians 3:16-19) It is through the Spirit’s indwelling that they would, “Know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God.” (Ephesians 3:19 NASB95)
May God help us, through His Spirit, to comprehend the incomprehensible love of Jesus. Now and always, may we experience the love of God being poured out within our hearts through the Spirit He has given us.
—Scott Colvin
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