Well,
it’s Wednesday morning and if you are like me, you may already feel overwhelmed
with all of the things you have to accomplish this week. C.S. Lewis put
it this way: “It comes the very moment you wake up each morning. All your
wishes and hopes for the day rush at you like wild animals. And the first job
each morning consists simply in shoving them all back.” At this point, we can’t
let the pressure of our day’s events and responsibilities crowd out what is
most needful! We need to highly prize this time where we meet
with God and study His Word. Let’s pray that God will give each
one of us an unquenchable desire know Him and then make Him known to
others!
As you
read today's passage, look for these words or phrases: persevere, trial,
and crown.
Passage
for the day: James 1:12 (NASB)
12 Blessed is a man who perseveres
under trial; for once he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.
Questions
for thought: Take a few moments to answer these questions before you go
on to the next section.
How is it
possible for us to be happy or blessed when under a trial?
What do
you think it means to persevere in the midst of a trial?
What does
God promise to those who endure? Who receives this reward?
Meditate
on this:
In this
short verse, we are told that God rewards those who persevere in trials. The
Greek word of persevering or enduring in this text has the idea of refusing to
give up, standing firm, or holding on tightly. It means that we are
living out our faith with action. We put the promises of God ahead
of the cares of this life and hold on to the assurance of eternal life with
God. When we cross the finish line, we will be greeted and rewarded
by God Himself! What an amazing thought!
We are
blessed because we possess the living hope of salvation of the soul – the crown
of life. This was the victor’s wreath that was given at the Olympic
games in Greece to the champion who endured to the end. The people
James was writing to were going under extreme persecution and many were facing
death. Some of them may have questioned and doubted whether it was
worth it to go through such suffering. James reminds them that they
were blessed as they endured, and that they could look forward to eternal life
with God as they faced physical death here on earth.
God is
using trials to produce believers who stand their ground through a life shaped
by the Word of God. The approval that James speaks of does not come about
because we were perfect. Rather, it acknowledges a faith that
perseveres and loves God. This love for God is an obedient love. Obedience
through love is the nature of a right relationship with God, a relationship of
wholehearted commitment to Him. So, as we persevere, let’s pursue a genuine
love for God and trust God to be faithful as we endure!
Praying
that you would Love Christ PASSIONATELY, Know Christ DEEPLY, and Enjoy Christ
FULLY,
Pastor
Stephen
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