James 1:2-4 “My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.”
If you are not currently being tested, then prepare your heart, by grounding and planting your roots deeper in the Lord. Trials are going to happen in the life of every believer. Notice that James says, "Count it all joy when you fall into various trials. The phrase, "various trials," could also be translated, "many-colored trials." So no two trials or experiences are necessarily alike. You will be tested. The question is, will you pass or fail? We must remember that God never tests us without a reason.
You are assured throughout God’s Word that your testing will come in due time, for the Lord will finish the work He began in each of us from the time of our salvation. He will allow the testing of our faith which develops and produces perseverance, 4 “Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything of your faith!” James 1:3-5
Greg Laurie tells the story that he once read about a traveler who was visiting a logging area in the Pacific Northwest . He watched with great curiosity as a logger, working alongside a mountain stream, would periodically jab his sharp hook into a log as it went past and separate it from the others. This visitor could not see any reason as to why the logger would grab certain logs and let others go by.
When the visitor asked the logger about it, he replied, "These logs may all look alike to you, but I can recognize that a few of them are quite different. The ones that I let pass by grew in a valley where they were always protected from the storms. Their grain is rather coarse. But the logs that I have pulled aside come from high up on the mountains. They were beaten by strong winds from the time they were quite small. This toughens the trees and gives them a fine grain. We save these logs for choice work. They are too good to be used for ordinary lumber."
Maybe God is saving you for a choice work. Maybe you have been going through hardships and have asked, "Why, Lord? What is the purpose?" Maybe He has made it known to you. Or maybe He has not. Know this: He is seeking to make you more like Jesus and create in you a family likeness. “For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers” Romans 8:28-30.
We must learn to always, “Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer” Romans 12:12, which I have found only comes naturally through maturity. It is not the natural reaction of a young believer to be patient in affliction and learn to rest and wait out the storms of life in God. Most young believers are usually working hard in order to rid themselves of the affliction, and are less apt to ask for God’s wisdom, as James instructed us to do James 1:4-6.
God loves us, and because of the depth of His love for us, He is more focused on refining us and purifying our hearts, than He is about making our lives on this earth easy. He desires for us to engraft, abide and remain in Christ each day. John 15:3-5
God's ultimate purpose is to conform us into the image of Jesus Christ. God wants to produce a family likeness in us. This means that some trials and testing’s will show us immediate results, while others will produce long term ones. Its part of the Christian life, as God is always more concerned about our character than He is our circumstances!
Lord, please draw us all closer to You today. Cause us to abide and remain in You. Thank You for giving us everything we need in order to be victorious over the enemy daily in and through You! Do not allow us to be deceived into thinking we can be victorious in our own strength, “as the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds” 2 Corinthians 10:4. In Jesus name we pray, Amen
Have another powerful and prosperous day of walking through your trials, in the Joy of Christ, in the workplace and at home!
Thank gsiano for this one!!
6 comments:
That prayer is awesome. We should all memorize it and say it daily.
cas
this verse applies to me - "It is not the natural reaction...to be patient in affliction and learn to rest and wait out the storms of life in God."
have to admit it is very difficult for me to have patience during difficult times. i get way too worked up and try to solve the problem as fast as possible. instead i should purposely draw closer to God during these times and ask him to mold me and help me to learn during these times.
"God loves us, and because of the depth of His love for us, He is more focused on refining us and purifying our hearts, than He is about making our lives on this earth easy."
I pray for a constant reminder of this. It is so easy to think about "me" and what material things I desire.
- LT
Wow! More truth here than I can take in and comment on in one sitting. This is like three devotions in one.
I can definitely say I am reminded way too often of my inner desire to have the easiest life possible for myself and my family. This reading and all the scripture has served as a great reminder to me of God's greater purposes in even the painful times of life.
cas, I agree that this prayer is one to be prayed each and every day.
Men, I have prayed this over each of you in Christ's name.
Blessings,
er
The story of the logger picking out the best trees which have been tested the most... such a great analogy to think about our earthly life and our spiritual growth. I pray our hardships strengthen us in our faith so we become like Christ. I agree with er, too much to digest right now. God Bless all. gch
Tried to log in a few times lately from blackberry, but no success. (guess I don't use enough to remember password).
Indeed trials will come. I pray that I will realize that it is not in my srength that I will be victourious.
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