"Not only so, but we also glory 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."

Romans 5:3–5 (NIV)

Not every moment this year was easy. You faced days that tested your faith and nights that stole your peace. You prayed prayers that felt unanswered and carried burdens that felt too heavy. But God was working even when you couldn't see it.

Paul wrote Romans 5 from a place of deep suffering. He wasn't writing theory from a comfortable chair. He had been beaten, imprisoned, and rejected for his faith. Yet he called suffering a pathway to hope, not a dead end. His perspective challenges you to see your hard seasons differently.

Think about a seed buried in dark soil. It can't see the sun or feel the rain. It sits alone in the cold ground, seemingly forgotten. But beneath the surface, roots are forming and strength is building. What looks like being buried is actually being planted.

Your hard seasons weren't wasted. They taught you to depend on God when you had nothing else. They revealed strength you didn't know you had. They stripped away what didn't matter and showed you what does. You're not the same person you were a year ago.

Think about the hardest moment you faced this year. What did it teach you about God's character? How did it grow your faith or deepen your prayer life? What would you tell someone walking through something similar right now? Your pain has prepared you to help others find hope.

Godseekers, your struggles weren't meant to break you. They were meant to build you into who God created you to be. As you look back on this year, don't just see the pain. See the perseverance, the character, and the hope that came from it.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, thank You for walking with me through every hard season this year. You never left me, even when I felt alone. Help me see how You used my struggles to shape me. Give me eyes to recognize the growth that came from the pain. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Personal Reflection

1. What is one way God grew my faith through a difficult season this year?
2. How can I use what I learned to encourage someone else who is struggling?

Step of Faith

Today, I will thank God for one hard season this year and write down one lesson He taught me through it.