Today, enjoy our guest writers devotional!
James 1:2-4 “Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” NIV
Drive- through’s are found more and more everywhere. What began with fast food chains is now found at pharmacies, banks and even the Post office. Entering the Drive-through, you expect to get the requested product fast and convenient. But have you ever stood in the line and there where three cars waiting in front of you? Have you ever paid attention to the reaction of the people waiting in the other cars? Or have you even been one of the people that start sighing just by entering the line? Two minutes later you started complaining, because you didn’t place your order yet and you really didn’t have the time to wait any longer? You started getting angry at the workers in the store, because they worked too slowly or because people didn’t order quick enough?
Patience! Everything around us is about getting the most out of something in the shortest amount of time possible. We are not used and willing to wait for things over a longer period of time. Unfortunately, we relate in the same way to God. We do it in prayer, in worship and in our quiet time before the Lord. We are so often looking for the spiritual “Drive-through”, without even
recognizing it.
When facing trials, we try to get out of it as soon as possible. “Consider it pure joy…” James tells us to rejoice in our trials and to let patience have the saying and doing of it. God wants us to grow in faith through all our circumstances by facing them in patience, believing that he will use every situation for the good. He is bringing us to completion, situation after situation. We have to make the choice wether we get angry over circumstances and complain or instead draw closer to our Comforter, our Counselor and Deliverer.
“Blessed is the man who perseveres in trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.” James 1:12 NIV
No condition of life should hinder us to rejoice in God. In trials, seek joy in and from God, not from any substitutes the world has to offer. You can rejoice, knowing that God has the crown of life in store for us. He promises it to us in his word! The question is: Will you stand the test? How are you choosing to face your trial?
God is so much longing for time with us, longing for intimacy. He doesn’t want us to come and expect answers to our pleas within 5 minutes so that we can go back to business. When our faith is being tested, whenever we face difficulties, let us draw close to God in those situations, choosing to embrace those seasons as possibilities to spend even more time with him, getting to know him better and trusting in him, that he will lead us right through our circumstances as we trust that he is developing perseverence in us and brings
us to completion!
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