Leveraging Your Trial - Your Daily Forward Devotional

Leveraging Your Trial
April 24, 2020




Read Philippians 1.

I remember walking the halls of Children’s Hospital as my son battled cancer. We’d meet parents who were going through their own trials. On several occasions, we’d have a parent sit down with us on a bench or in the cafeteria and say, “I don’t know how you guys do it. You’re up here. Your kid’s going through chemo. He’s got years worth of surgeries ahead. But you seem to be at peace…and happy. How do you do it?”

Let me be real. We felt sadness, anger, doubt, and fear. But we also had a deep sense of peace and joy in the face of uncertainty. You see, we had hope in Christ. We knew that God had Landon and his future in His hands. You see, because of that hope, we can leverage the trials we have to share that same hope.

Paul wrote about this in Philippians 1:12-14:
“I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel, 13 so that it has become known throughout the whole imperial guard and to all the rest that my imprisonment is for Christ. 14 And most of the brothers, having become confident in the Lord by my imprisonment, are much bolder to speak the word without fear.”

I know you’ve got trials and hardships that are causing you to fear and doubt. And just like Paul, we, by God’s grace, can leverage those to share real hope. His trial and response to it, gave fellow believers a higher level of confidence to share that hope as well.

Today, I encourage you to choose faith over fear. Choose to share hope instead of worry. Give the world a taste of the hope it desperately needs.


Reflect
Why is it important to respond in faith instead of fear? How can our response advance the gospel? How can our trials strengthen our confidence in Christ?

Respond
How are you struggling with fear and doubt? How does this passage change your perspective? Who is one person who is suffering that you can offer hope?

 
Pray

Lord, thank you for giving me open doors through my circumstances to share real hope. Help me to believe in that hope and to share that hope with boldness. Amen.