JOHN SHIRK – In the Year to Shine, today’s Vital Step to a Radiant Faith is to endure hardship.

Hebrews 12:7 encourages us to endure hardship as discipline. When this is occurring, God is treating us as His children.

Sometimes, in our difficult challenges, we might incorrectly feel that God is far away and does not love us as much as He once did. If we conclude that, we become discouraged by our circumstances and feel like giving up on the path we were taking.

However, Hebrews chapter 12 is there to remind us that God still cares in our trials. He is working to refine our faith in Him, not to discourage us. Verse 10 says about our human fathers, “They disciplined us for a little while as they thought best, but God disciplines us for our good, in order that we may share in his holiness. No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.”

Enduring hardship is a Vital Step to a Radiant Faith that makes a difference in our world.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com