James 1:2-4 (NIV)
2 Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever
you face trials of many kinds, 3 because you know that the testing of your
faith produces perseverance. 4 Let perseverance finish its work so that you may
be mature and complete, not lacking anything.
During the past months
we have received reports from my doctors that in the human mind are hard to
understand. Today’s verses have been a real encouragement. No life
is free from encounters with pain, disappointment, struggles, and temptations.
We all go through storms and through them, we either become better, or we
become bitter.
If we choose to focus on our misery during these storms,
our love for God can grow cold. We will question His sovereignty: “Where was
God when I needed Him? How could He allow this to happen to me?” Our passion
and fervor for God begin to wane, and though we pray or attend church, there is
now an invisible wall between us and God.
Although enduring storms is never easy, we can often look
back on them as some of the more intense periods of growth in our lives. If we
choose to depend on God in the midst of our storms, we will come through them
with greater faith, commitment, and effectiveness for Christ. Sometimes it is
in our darkest and most turbulent storms that we see our greatest victories.
Let’s pray for each other as we all go through the trials
of life that we may be strong and receive the victory that God has for each one
of us.
Dear Lord, as we go through the storms in life we pray that we would stay focused
on You. We pray that we would allow the
difficult time to grow and become more like You. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
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