As Christians, we should all be reading our Bibles everyday and making sure we are applying Biblical truths to our lives. On the STREETBRAND magazine community, we will be memorising a Bible verse a week to help us grow deeper in our faith and give us a better understanding of what God is saying about issues concerning us. Here’s the Bible verse for the week beginning Sunday 2 August 2009.Bible verse: Romans 5:3-4 - "We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation.” (New Living Translation)
Application: It is very easy to get discouraged when we are going through trials. At times, problems can seem so big that it’s difficult to see a way out but as Christian youths, we should never forget that God is bigger than any problem we may be facing. Whether it is problems at home or at school, being broke, peer pressure or difficult relationships, God says that we should call on him for strength so that he can help us get through the storm.
There’s an important lesson here too – the verse tells us to rejoice when we have problems because the problems themselves are helping us develop patience, hope and strength of character. Remember that what doesn’t kill you only makes you stronger. God is always there for you; you’re never alone and even though his timing may seem slow to you, he knows what is best for you and will answer you when you call, in his perfect time.
Just think back to all the times when you thought the world was going to end; didn’t things get better? As you spend time in worship and prayer this week, reach out to God for inner strength so that you can grow in your knowledge of God and his will for your life.
