Even when everything around us seems to be going in the wrong direction, God still uses it to accomplish His good and perfect will in our lives. In Romans 8:28 Paul says, And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him. God is constantly by our side working for the good of each of us. When bad things happen around us, God can use it for our good.

It is hard to think of suffering as a time to rejoice, but Paul says just that in Romans 5:3-4, 3 Not Only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; 4 perseverance, character; and character, hope. When we suffer for a righteous cause, it is an opportunity to bring us closer to God. It is also a opportunity to learn and to grow in our faith. Through suffering we are reminded of our need for God, which prepares us for greatest challenges in life.

When people hurt us and persecute us because of what we believe, God will have the final word. In 2 Thessalonians 1:6 Paul says, God is just: He will pay back trouble to those who trouble you. God has our best ultimately in mind. And while it feels like we may be losing the battle, in the end, God wins.

Today we begin the first letter from Paul to the church in Thessalonica. The beauty of Paul’s letters is they are applicable for all time, including our present circumstances. In this letter, Paul wrote to the Thessalonians to help strengthen their faith. This particular church was very young (less than two years old) and they needed to continue to mature in their faith as they allowed themselves to be distracted by things that had little value in serving Christ in their present circumstances. This letter is applicable to us because we do the same thing every day. We allow ourselves to be distracted by our present circumstances and lose site of the process God that leads us through the fabric of His eternal plan. Let us take the time to trust in Him to lead us through the hard times knowing we are part of something much bigger than us.