Daily Devotional for September 11, 2005

September 11

BIBLE MEDITATION:  ?Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ ? And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; And patience, experience; and experience, hope: And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost Which is given unto us. Romans 5:1-5

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT: God says that not only do we have peace, but we have tribulation. They exist side by side. There are so many Christians who fail to understand that tribulation is a part of life ? whether you are saved or whether you?re lost. Many godly people in New Orleans and on the Gulf coast have suffered just as the ungodly have. And, friend, it?s a false gospel that says if we come to Christ thereÉll be no adversity, no misfortune, no persecution, or pain. The word tribulation literally means ?pressure.? It refers to the crushing of grapes in the wine press or olives in the oil press. And God is looking for the oil and the wine of Christian character. Therefore, God allows tribulation. My friend, it takes pressure to make something beautiful out of a life. And in the conflicts we face, we need to see them not as obstacles, but as opportunities. A diamond is a lump of coal that has stayed under pressure. Now we may not understand all the ways of God, but God is in control.

ACTION POINT: When you are under pressure, what comes out? Do you like what you see? Take an honest look inside and see how God is seeking to work in your life to make something beautiful of it.