Charles Stanley Daily Devotional 5th August 2025 (In Touch) Tuesday Message
TOPIC: The Blessings in Hardship
SCRIPTURE READING: 1 Peter 4:12-14
12 Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal among you, which comes upon you for your testing, as though some strange thing were happening to you;
13 but to the degree that you share the sufferings of Christ, keep on rejoicing, so that also at the revelation of His glory you may rejoice with exultation.
14 If you are reviled for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you.
Although it’s certainly difficult to feel favored when facing hardships, Jesus said that we are, in fact, blessed. The Lord’s perspective differs from ours—He considers it a positive thing if we struggle in His name, because …
- It proves our faith. We learn the capacity of our faith through testing. When we persevere through a trial, we begin to understand that with God’s help, we can remain steadfast and obedient. We also learn the magnitude of His strength to support us.
- It purifies our life. We are driven into His arms by suffering, and our focus shifts. As we grow closer to Him, He’ll bring to our awareness wrong attitudes and actions—some related to our trial and some not—for which we must repent.
- It prepares us for greater service. Misfortune breaks our self-reliance and pride—attitudes that hinder our usefulness for the Lord. Pride crumbles when we realize we’re incapable of living the Christian life on our own.
A life of ease isn’t always a sign of blessing. So let’s not “be surprised at the fiery ordeal … as though some strange thing were happening” (1 Pet. 4:12). If misfortune strengthens our faith, purifies our hearts, and equips us for greater service, then we can thank the Lord for the way He will use it in our life.
Bible in One Year: Isaiah 54-57
THOUGHT FOR TODAY: In our struggles, the Lord strengthens our faith, purifies our heart, and equips us for greater service.
Dr. Charles F. Stanley was the founder of In Touch Ministries and a New York Times best-selling author. Throughout his ministry, he demonstrated a keen awareness of people’s needs and provided Christ-centered biblically based principles for everyday life