Day 0 - Enduring Hardships and the Haunting Question of Why

Hebrews 12:7-13

I think why is sometimes the most haunting question of all, but I really like the answers provided by these verses. Here's three reasons that God says hardship comes into our lives and why we should press on in the difficult times -

• so that we may LIVE (v 9) and not just a mediocre existence, but abundant life in Christ
• so that we may share in His HOLINESS (v 10) - fire refines us like gold burning away the impurities
• so that it can produce a harvest of RIGHTEOUSNESS and PEACE in our lives (v 11).

This passage also gives us the answers to how to respond to hardship:

• Accept it as God's discipline (v 7), not that it is God's punishment toward us, but rather that He has something to teach us and that we have something to learn from it.
• Submit to His Lordship (v 9) because He is ultimately in control.
• And my favorite…THEREFORE, strengthen our arms (v 13). Because He is in control, we can be strong, even in the midst of heartache or job loss or any other difficult time.

That's what I want the next 50 days to be about... learning what God has to teach me, acknowledging that He is in control, and being strengthened by Him.