I did my best to hold them back and for the most part, I succeeded--until about 10 o'clock last night.
As I rested my head on the countertop and washed the floor with my tears,
my surprised husband approached and stood with me as I cried.
"What's wrong Babe?"
After a moment or so, my reply was simple, "I'm tired."
"Well let's go to bed then."
"No...my spirit is tired."
He understood then.
This morning, God's Word is speaking directly to that and they are words that I need to hear
and words that I think I need to share.
'Count it all joy, my brothers,
when you face trials of many kids,
for you know that the testing of your faith
produces perseverance.
And perseverance must complete its work in you
so that you may be perfect and complete,
lacking nothing.'
James 1:2-4
'Count it all joy when...'
Joy often stems from something in which we have taken delight.
We see purpose in it,
recognize God's hand in it,
and become better people as a result of it.
Joy is contagious,
joy is super natural.
Joy is the ability to see beyond earth
into the beauty of heaven.
James uses the word when...
not if.
'you face trials of many kinds...'
pay attention to the words that James uses here.
'When you face trials'...
it does not say,
'when you blame others for your trials'
or
'when you resent God or others for your trials'
but rather when we face them,
take them head on and stare the challenge straight in the face through the Spirit of God.
Blame, self pity and resentment will not only consume a person, destroy relationships and affect mental, emotional and physical health,
but it will suffocate the spirit of joy that God will impart as we walk boldly and confidently through the trial set before us as well deprive us of the divine benefits intended for us as a result of our trials.
'for you know that testing of your faith...'
There are many things in life that we are guaranteed a measure of uncertainty--
this is not one of them.
We know that our faith will be tested
and that God promises a specific result.
However, this result is conditional--
we must face the trial and know that God will produce the fruit He has promised.
'produces perseverance...'
perseverance is to our soul what oxygen is to our lungs,
water is to our bodies
and love is to our marriages.
It sustains us, empowers us
and gives us the heart to keep moving when everything within us says to lay down our weapons and admit defeat.
Perseverance says defeat is not an option
because God is bigger than the mountain before us or the flames around us.
'Perseverance must complete its work in you...'
Perseverance is the critical element to victory.
We want victory, but we want it to come easy.
That's impossible.
Victory is only a result of perseverance.
Perseverance is not only critical for victory,
but for developing within us the supernatural character that embodied the Son of God,
our Redeemer, in whose footsteps we walk.
'that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.'
It is easy to feel as though God is holding back
and allowing pain and hurt without having a purpose in it.
We question, resist and complain, when all the while God has glorious plans and heavenly purposes that can only come to fruition through pain, trial and challenge.
Character is developed within us when and only when
we share in the sufferings of our Jesus Christ.
It is there, at the foot of the Cross, where the blood poured down on our behalf,
that we see pain meet healing,
suffering meet relief,
death meets life,
sin meets redemption,
weakness meets strength,
weariness gives way to perseverance
and
and defeat shrivels in the face of victory.
As we walk in the footsteps of our slain and risen Savior,
we are reminded that if it weren't for His divine perseverance
our destiny would be hell.
"for the joy set before Him, He endured the cross...' (Hebrews 12:2)
His focus was not the cross...
His attention was not the pain.
His joy was set before Him--redemption of His beloved creation--
and it was toward that He set His eyes.
Sweet Jesus,
I am weary and weak. I am full of pride and failure. More times than not, I am focused on the pain rather than the joy you have set before me through the pain. I am tempted to lay down in defeat more often that I am empowered to stand up in victory. Sweet Jesus, develop within me perseverance. Remind me that the only way to do that is to walk through the fire. Give me eyes to see and the heart to take hold of that which you have for me in the midst of the fire.
I surrender my heart, my mind and my plans.
Take me through the fire,
be present with me,
and develop within me a sweet and gentle spirit of perseverance
that I may be perfect and complete,
lacking no good thing.
In the name of my beloved Savior Jesus Christ,
Amen.
<><tce
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