No Pain, No Gain
Jesus said, "In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer" (John 16:33 NKJV). Why? Because it is through storms, trials, and hardships that we enter God’s kingdom.
In Acts 14:21–22, we read, "They returned to Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch, strengthening the souls of the disciples, exhorting them to continue in the faith, and saying, ‘We must through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God’"(NKJV).
We don’t always like to read a verse like that. It’s probably not a passage we want to write on a plaque and hang by our front door.
We would rather the passage read, "Through many days of perpetual happiness we enter the kingdom of God," but that isn’t Scripture, and that isn’t life.
If you want to "continue in the faith," you will do so through trials and tribulations. There is no escaping them. Job said it well: "How frail is man! How few his days, how full of trouble!" (Job 14:1 NLT).
No one is exempt from experiencing storms in life. Good things will happen to us, as well as tragic and inexplicable things. Every life will have its share of pain. As much as we would like to believe otherwise, none of us can take an extended vacation beyond the reach of human suffering and tragedy.
We cannot always see the work that God is doing on the inside, but He can.
Share this today:
Did you pray with Pastor Greg?
To help you get started, we would love to send you a free Bible and other resources to help you grow in your faith.
Get ResourcesIs God Real?
Get your copy of Lee Strobel’s book Is God Real? before the month of March is over. It’s yours when you donate to Harvest Ministries today.
Make Your Gift