June 19, 2018
Standing Firm in Our Trials
Mary Southerland
Today’s Truth
Blessed is the man who perseveres under 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).
Friend to Friend
Patience is not one of my greatest strengths. In fact, I tend to live each day with a schedule in mind - an agenda by which to live that day and several goals I need to meet before the day’s end.
God does have a sense of humor.
I can’t tell you how many times my schedule falls apart, the agenda is completely forgotten, and I have to move today’s goals to tomorrow’s list of things to do. I am learning that when God wants to build a certain quality in my life, He puts me in the opposite circumstance. For example, if God wants me to be more patient, He arranges the hours and minutes of my day in ways that demand patience.
What is patience? To be patient is to have the ability to endure, but it doesn’t stop there. Patience must also have the capacity to be wronged and not retaliate. In other words, patience is love persevering and love waiting. We are not only to be patient in the way we face difficult situations but in our relationships as well. That just about covers life, doesn’t it?
One of the most powerful Bible passages on patience and perseverance is found in the book of James. “Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love Him.” Do you want to be blessed? Stand firm in your trial. Do you want to be rewarded? Stand firm in that tough circumstance. Be patient – because patience really does pay off.
God promises blessings and rewards to those who persevere and stand firm in hard times, but the reason we can stand firm is because He loves us unconditionally and promises to walk with us through every dark moment life will bring.
Nothing touches our life that does not pass through God’s hand, with His permission.
Remember the Bible story of the man named Job? Job was a faithful servant of God, strong in his faith and unwavering in his obedience to God. Satan didn’t like it. In fact, he went to God and asked permission to test Job. I love that truth! The devil had to go to God like an errand boy to get permission to touch His child, Job. Satan was convinced that if Job lost everything God had given him - his health, his family, and his possessions - if Job lost everything, he would curse God and follow Satan. God told the serpent to give it his best shot, convinced that Job would persevere. Satan stripped Job of his health, his possessions, his wealth and his family – everything Job held dear. Job stood firm.
Every trial must come through His love; but every trial has a purpose. Every pain has a purpose, every ordeal contains a seed of victory, and there is a promise for every problem you and I will ever face. The psalmist writes, “The LORD is my strength, my shield from every danger. I trust in Him with all my heart. He helps me, and my heart is filled with joy” (Psalm 28:7).
Patience pays off in many ways, but one of the greatest rewards of patience is joy. Joy is a deeply rooted confidence that God is in control. Warren Wiersbe writes, “When God permits His children to go through the furnace, He keeps His eye on the clock and His hand on the thermostat!” God will never let us face more than we can handle with His help. Hebrews 12:12 says it so well: “So take a new grip with your tired hands and stand firm on your shaky legs.” I have been there, done that and can relate to a weary heart and shaky legs. Can’t you?
No matter where you are today, where you have been, or what you are facing tomorrow, be patient, knowing your God will strengthen you to stand firm.
Let’s Pray
Father, please forgive me when I am impatient. Help me see You at work in the trial and choose to depend on Your strength instead of my own. Help me see Your purpose and plan, but even if I can’t understand it all, help me stand firm in faith. Lord, make me more patient so that others will see You in me.
In Jesus’ Name,
Amen.
Now It Is Your Turn
Read Romans 12:12. “Be patient when trouble comes.” What trouble in your life today requires patience? Are you willing to choose faith and obedience by trusting God with that trouble?
More from the Girlfriends
The "Fear Factor" is not just a television show. Fear is a faithful companion in a world filled with broken people, many of whom live at the mercy of their fears. Fear makes everything seem bigger than it really is, wastes energy, and contaminates life itself. Mary’s new CD, Getting a Grip on Fear uncovers God's plan for peace and identifies five ways to deal with and be free from fear.
Be sure to check out the FREE MP3s on Mary’s website and connect with Mary through email or on Facebook.
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