As I read through my readings today I was able to see a common tie between Proverbs and Romans. There is always Christ at the center of most any verse of course, but this is more how we are prepared in life. Everyone will go through some hard times sooner or later and it is how we weather those hard times and how we come out the other side that matters. Opening up in Romans 5 we are shown just what it is to go through these hard times.
Romans 5:1 Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, wet have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And wet boast in the hope of the glory of God. 3 Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; 4 perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5 And hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.
According to these verses hard times bring us the ability to handle more hard times to come and glorify God in doing so. We build perseverance, character, and hope. Without hope we have nothing, but in Christ there is always hope.
I said that Proverbs 17 echoes this somewhat as well. I have heard it said that God forges us in the fires to purify us and make us better as a metallurgist works with precious metals. This verse points to that as well.
Proverbs 17:3 The crucible for silver and the furnace for gold,
but the Lord tests the heart.
but the Lord tests the heart.
So the next time you find yourself facing a hard time and wondering what you have done to deserve such harsh treatment from God, try thinking of what He is preparing you for. What is it He is making you better for and testing your heart for?
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