Romans 15:4
“For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope.”
God has many things to teach us from His word. The Bible is to be our source for righteousness, our truth for living, and as our scripture above declares, our hope in times of trouble. The Apostle Paul wanted believers in Rome to realize that the Law, the Prophets, and the Writings found in the Old Testament scriptures were written for their learning. It is in studying, memorizing, & meditating on God’s word that we can not only uncover biblical truth (2 Timothy 2:15), but also nourish our spiritual lives (Luke 4:4).
Furthermore, since we are able to receive both “patience and comfort” from the Word of God, it is an expectation . . . even an understood reality that our lives are going to experience trouble & sorrow at some point or another. I’m sure that each one of us could testify of a time when we’ve had to travel through a deep, dark, & depressing valley. Maybe it was a death of a loved one, maybe it was a natural disaster, or maybe it was a mysterious virus that began affecting people earlier this year.
The psalmist proclaims in Psalm 119:114 “You are my hiding place and my shield; I hope in Your word.” The good news is that if you are a child of God through your faith in Jesus Christ as God’s only-begotten Son, you will not only be able to speak about the patience & comfort of the Scriptures during life’s valleys, but you will also be able to testify about the hope, grace, & blessings of a loving Heavenly Father during life’s mountain top experiences.
Have a blessed day,
Pastor Greg
In time of trouble, God’s word promises to be a sure foundation and an enduring refuge.