What we needed was a new perspective. Our gratitude had grown tired, and we needed grace.
We found it when we stumbled across today’s verse, Romans 5:3. There is something wonderfully man-sized about the apostle’s response to his hardships. Stand the test, friends, for the end is in sight. Hope is on the horizon. A right approach to problems — whether great or small — is a wonderful thing to have hammered into your character.
Sometimes we think of the suffering in Romans 5 as the huge life catastrophes. We forget that God’s grace-giving power is mostly for everyday sorts of tests and trials. . . .
What are your tests today? Where do you need perseverance, staying power, and hope? Ask God to help you step back and see a bigger picture than the trial right in front of your nose. He uses everything in our lives to mold our character and make us more like his Son.
— Joni Eareckson Tada, Pearls of Great Price, April 28 entry