Sea Glass and Smooth Stones

I love finding smooth stones and sea glass on the beach. 

It's amazing how being tossed in the ocean waves and thrown repeatedly against the shore can make rough, jagged edges smooth. 

When we cooperate with God in times of difficulty, we're like these stones. Our difficulties can smooth our rough spots of foolishness, remove selfish cracks, and soften sharp edges of pride. 

The process is hard. No one likes being "beaten against the shore and sucked back into the ocean depths." But the changes are invaluable. 

When we commit ourselves to God's purposes, we learn to accept these changes more graciously because we know we can trust Him to bring good out of our pain (Proverbs 3:5-6; Romans 8:28). 

"Endure hardship as discipline...No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it." Hebrews 12:7-11 

I know this is true. I've seen God bring wisdom and maturity into my life through difficult circumstances far more often than through easy circumstances.

Have you seen this in your life? 

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I encourage you to check out Bible Love Note's Overcoming Adversity collection of 1-minute devotions. It includes titles like When Hardship is a Privilege and 5 Ways to Deal with Discouragement.
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