Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. 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 5:1-4
“We feel we would give anything if only we could, in actual experience, live on the High Places of love and victory here on this earth and during this life — able always to react to evil, tribulation, sorrow, pain, and every wrong thing in such a way that they would be overcome and transformed into something to the praise and glory of God forever. As Christians we know, in theory at least, that in the life of a child of God there are no second causes, that even the most unjust and cruel things, as well as all seemingly pointless and undeserved sufferings, have been permitted by God as a glorious opportunity for us to react to them in such a way that our Lord and Savior is able to produce in us, little by little, His own lovely character.”
Hannah Hurnard in Hinds’ Feet on High Places (Carol Stream: Tyndale, 1975) viii.
The GTP team is standing on the high places of love and victory by His grace alone this week. God is generously knitting our hearts together as we spend time in His Word, in strategic discussions, in doing outdoor activities in the mountains of Colorado, and in taking time for solitude.
He’s forming into His image and likeness, preparing us for the road ahead. It will be filled with both good times and tribulation, which we realize are part of His generous plan. He’s reminding us that the pain will not be pointless. It has purpose. Navigating these times transforms us and glorifies God.
What about you?
You too can live on the high places of love and victory not by avoiding challenges but by embracing whatever God has for you — whether it be pleasure or pain — by grace as part of a glorious opportunity to let His love shine through you today and every day by the Holy Spirit.