Hello! I am Deb Winkelman and welcome to King of Kings’ Lenten Devotions, “Transformed in Christ”
Today is March 9th and this week we are reminded to Be Like Jesus in Dealing with Brokenness
Today’s truth that transforms is: Remember God’s Love Even in Your Suffering
Our Scripture reading is from Romans 5.
Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we[a] have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we[b] boast in the hope of the glory of God. 3 Not only so, but we[c] also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; 4 perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5 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.
6 You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 10 For if, while we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life!
How are we “Transformed in Christ” and shaped to be more like Him?
There’s a saying: “Only two things are certain in this world. Death and taxes.” Perhaps there is something even more certain. Suffering. It can be due to death of a loved one. It can be loss of relationship due to our broken selfishness. It can be lack of vital necessities, even food, shelter, or comfort. It can be the loss of health and vitality. Life is but a series of losses and suffering. If suffering is such a widespread experience, where is God in all it? Right in the middle. God entered human suffering to the extreme when Jesus suffered for us on the cross. God redeemed that suffering. He used it to bring us peace with God and His redemptive purposes in our own suffering. In our own suffering, He shapes our character and helps us lean into Him with more trust and hope!
When I was ten, I didn’t know about God’s love. I viewed him as a harsh God waiting to punish me when I did something wrong.
My family often moved and being the “new girl,” I didn’t have any close friends. I felt alone. The moves must have bothered my siblings too because we were always fighting. Mom thought we needed to learn how to behave, so she dropped us off at a small missionary church. It was there that my Sunday school teacher shared how much I was loved and cared for by God. He wasn’t angry with me. She suggested that I go to church too and, when I did, she said I should have my parents come with me.
Because she gave of her time to teach, I came to know Christ and it changed the dynamics of my life and family. We started to go to church together, and my family was baptized.
I wanted to share with other children about Christ and it was then, that I decided to become a Lutheran teacher. I will never forget how my life was transformed when I realized how much God loved me and was truly my friend. He will never leave me, no matter what!