(James 1:2-4 MKJV) My brothers, count it all joy when you fall into different kinds of temptations, knowing that the trying of your faith works patience. But let patience have its perfect work, so that you may be perfect and entire, lacking nothing.
Why does the trying of my faith work patience – because I am human and being as such I will fall many times in this life but one thing remains, one thing is true, for I have been bought with a price and I am no longer my own but God’s. For He is with me and He goes before me, therefore I trust Him to lead me where I need to go even though I know not where that is still I will hold tightly to His hand. Though things do not go the way I plan I patiently wait for Him, knowing His timing is perfect and His direction is keen, beyond that of any human understanding. He is my source of hope and I have committed to walk in His footsteps throughout this life; I will not turn to the left or the right though my own eyes would deceive me. I am but a child, my mind is weak and my eyes are dim but He who leads me knows and sees all things from the beginning of time until this life is over and beyond that He will not cease to be who He is for He is the one who has defeated death and the grave and victory is mine if I remain in Him.
(Psalms 139:8-10 NIV) If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast.
So I should count all trials and test in this life as joy, not because I enjoy stumbling or being knocked to the floor but because I know there is purpose in enduring, for when the honing is complete the result will be a fine edge that the Master will faithfully use as He sees fit. Those times when the Master allows me to see clearly I am made aware that this abrasive whetstone is removing the hard crusty scales that cover my heart. You see God wants to use me and you but we have allowed pain and circumstances of life to harden us. While in process it feels like the hardened outer shell is right and natural, after all it covers our vulnerability as did the fig leaf cover Adam and Eve’s nakedness but it is that hardened outer layer that prevents us from being who God meant for us to be and therefore it must be removed before we can be used by Him who created us. It is like taking pain medication to reduce the pain we feel, not knowing the pain is pointing to something of utter most importance we then walk around in a fog not able to feel or think clearly and miss the deeper meaning. Not all of life equals pain for there are many things to be happy about but this one thing I know what little insight I have comes from being able to sense God’s still small voice and being sensitive to the moving of His Holy Spirit; for the things of the spirit are a mystery, who can know them but God and when we are so concerned about protecting ourselves from feeling any pain we miss the purpose of life, stumbling around in a spiritual fog therefore we miss the opportunity to be used for His higher purpose.
(James 1:12 MSG) Anyone who meets a testing challenge head-on and manages to stick it out is mighty fortunate. For such persons loyally in love with God, the reward is life and more life.
No comments:
Post a Comment