Rom 5:3  And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience;  Rom 5:4  And patience, experience; and experience, hope:  Rom 5:5  And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.

In Romans 5:3-5, the character on display is not merely a reflection of our own personal growth or moral improvement, but rather a deepening assurance that comes from experiencing God's faithfulness and steadfast love in the midst of life's trials and tribulations. We tend to read “patience, experience, and hope” as a list of things to do, which is actually absurd. These are things produced in us as God demonstrates His faithfulness to us and we learn that He works everything together for our good, every time.

As we journey through various challenges, we witness firsthand how God continually demonstrates His unwavering commitment to us, revealing that the living hope we possess is still very much alive within our hearts. This ongoing process of God showing us His faithfulness serves to strengthen our trust in Him and solidify our understanding that Christ is always our ground of peace, regardless of the circumstances we face. We learn in trials that our hope is not anchored in our own abilities or accomplishments, but in the steadfast love and grace of God, who has proven time and time again that He is with us, renewing our strength and sustaining us through every trial. This is the growth in the Christian life. Not growing to become a “better person” or a “better Christian” but a growth in the knowledge of God as He demonstrates His faithfulness in the word and in our experience, and we learn to run to Him faster each time we go through something. This growth in assurance, rooted in the faithfulness of God, ultimately shapes us into a different kind of person that rests in Christ and bears witness to the power of the gospel in our lives.

I declare that I am standing in God's grace, and I am learning His faithfulness. Through the trials and tribulations I face, I am reminded of His steadfast love and unwavering commitment to me. I glory in my tribulations, knowing that they work patience, and patience, experience, and experience, hope. I am not ashamed of my hope, for the love of God is shed abroad in my heart by the Holy Ghost. I declare that God is my refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. When I pass through the waters, He is with me, and through the rivers, they will not overflow me. When I walk through the fire, I will not be burned, for He is with me. I do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen, for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal. Lord thank you that through any trials I face today, you are there to furnish and supply me with joy and hope in believing. God has not given me the spirit of fear, but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. I declare my trust in God's faithfulness, and I am strengthened in my faith. I rest in Christ, who is my ground of peace, and I bear witness to the power of the gospel in my life. I am grateful for the ongoing process of God showing me His faithfulness, and I thank Him for renewing my strength and sustaining me through every trial. In Jesus' name, amen.