Pray the Word with David Platt is a resource from radical.net.

Romans chapter 5, verses 3, 4, and 5.

Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings,

knowing that suffering produces endurance,

and endurance produces character, and character produces hope,

and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts

through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. Oh, there's so much here. And pardon me, wanted to read the two verses before this, because there's such an important

lead in.

Paul has just talked about how we have peace with God through faith in Jesus.

Just picture that you and I have peace with God, the peace of God on us. We have been restored to God. Paul says in

Romans 5-2, obtained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand, which gives us hope.

We rejoice in the hope of the glory of God that one day we're going to be with God, free from sin and free from sorrow and free

from suffering, which then leads to the verses I just read. So not only do we rejoice in the hope

of the glory of God, but we rejoice in our sufferings. Think about how is that possible

when you're going through suffering in this world? I just received news

of a friend whose family is going through unimaginable suffering in their lives right now.

How is it possible to rejoice in the middle of unimaginable suffering? And God's word is saying, you realize that suffering is not the end.

Suffering is never the end of the story for all who trust in Jesus, for all who've been restored to peace with God through faith in Jesus.

That's the only way to rejoice in suffering,

because if that was the end, then there would be no reason for rejoicing. But the whole point here

in Romans 5 is that suffering is leading somewhere. Suffering produces endurance. And endurance produces

character. And character produces hope. You see this line that's coming

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