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Good Advice – Week 36 / September 2nd
“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”
James 1:2-4
Life’s journey is not easy and the older one gets the more one discovers this. In fact many lives are set on a course for ruin at an early age and unless God’s redemptive love by Jesus Christ “steps in” calamity, bitterness and death, at all levels, is the end result. I have seen much of this over the years. I had friends in high school who were determined to embrace everything corrupt and wrong and now have ended up in tragedy, poverty and premature death. Years ago they thought they were cool as they took drugs, played around with sex and generally took great delight in ungodliness. Their end was dismal and shocking!
Embracing Jesus does not exempt one from life’s trials and troubles but if we live right before Him these become redemptive and a blessing and will accrue for us a harvest of God’s pleasure if we do what is right before Him. Herein, lies the challenge to God’s people. We must not draw back in dismay but always push through and the consequences will be blessed and more than we could ever imagine. James is reminding us of this in this passage and we should therefore give it our close attention.
The forward looking and godly Christian should therefore take the following advice when trials arrive at their doorstep:
1. Determine to be joyful V2
This is not easy but is important as embracing joy constitutes a recognition of God’s sovereignty over one’s life. If Jesus is truly Lord of your life then your trial is His problem and not yours and surely the greatest power in the universe can handle it and walk through it with you. Joy is a decision that springs out of the peace of God in your life and so we can all opt for it in times of trial.
2. Determine to be informed V3
As God’s children our trials whether they are circumstantial or medical will have a positive result for our lives. That is; we will emerge better because of them! This is the truth that James sets before us. Someone once said,” Know that God can take your mess and turn it into a message.” The trials we have to endure will produce something good and so here James says that this will be patience. Patience is the urgent and necessary foundation upon which all of God’s promises and blessings are delivered to us. We therefore need to learn it; no matter how old we might be.
3. Determine to be faithful V4
Too often Christians question God and so withdraw from Him in times of trial. Their question is: “Why did God let this happen to me?” The answer is; because He has a plan to complete what is lacking in your life.” We really do not know ourselves as God knows us and this “knowledge gap” is something that we must recognize and accept. When we do we can become faithful because we know that through our trial we are being perfected and completed. Our glorious Savior is preparing us for better things now on earth and for eternity in Heaven. Blessed indeed is the person who has been perfected by trials.
Malcolm Hedding.
©Malcolm Hedding Ministries
2013Devotional