There are times in our lives where we are just blindsided by something bad.  You don’t see it coming and you don’t know where or how it got to you, but now it’s here and it isn’t going away for a while.  Sometimes I feel guilty because the bad things in my life aren’t nearly the same scale as what other people endure; however, it is still a shock to my system and something for me to get through.  I’m working through a situation like that now.  Now really isn’t the time for details, but I received a word today that gave me a much brighter outlook because I really have no control over the outcome.

The Bible says in Romans 5: 3-4:

3Not only so, but we^[a] also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; 4perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.

I can’t say it better than Paul did, but I know that I have always seen this progression in my troubles.  I learn what it takes to get through them (perseverance/endurance) which builds character and character builds hope.  We learn to be “hope-full” because of how God has delivered us in the past.

On it’s own, this verse helped me today but when I continued reading in the Psalms I immediately had that “A-ha” moment.

Psalm 71: 14:

But as for me, I will always have hope;
I will praise you more and more.

Because of what God has done for me and because of how he has proven Himself over and over I should always have hope and praise God more and more.  Times of trial should lead to “more and more” praise because we know God will teach us more about perseverance and character and lead us to more hope.

As an aside, I think the Message version of the Bible translates Romans 5: 3-5 in an awesome way:

There’s more to come: We continue to shout our praise even when we’re hemmed in with troubles, because we know how troubles can develop passionate patience in us, and how that patience in turn forges the tempered steel of virtue, keeping us alert for whatever God will do next. In alert expectancy such as this, we’re never left feeling shortchanged. Quite the contrary—we can’t round up enough containers to hold everything God generously pours into our lives through the Holy Spirit!

Praise God that he never short changes us; rather, we can’t produce enough containers to hold everything GOd wants to pour into our lives!