Daily Devotion

“If God gives you many hardships, it signifies that He has a grand plan for you, and there is no doubt that He intends for you to become a saint.”

Inaj LoyolaSpiritual Practice · Spiritual Practice

Scripture

Romans 5:3-5 Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. 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.

Reflection

Suffering is never wasted in God's hands. Paul, in Romans, outlines not a plain, but a ladder to glory: from hardship to patience, and then to mature character. Ignatius reminds us that if we are experiencing "many hardships," it means God is using a "grand design" to mold us. Just as in the creation of the Chronicles song today, the dryness and ups and downs of genealogy are all leading to the birth of Christ. When you feel overwhelmed, remember: you are not wandering in ruins, but being trained in God's workshop. These "unlearnable lessons" are refining you from a servant into a saint like Christ. Valleys are not pits, but winding mountain roads leading to peaks.