Pastor Ellen Bilsborough
Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. James 1:2-3
A test! Are you kidding me? Who would ever consider it pure joy to face a trial? And not to mention there’s a test of faith at the end of it. That just gets me excited. Trials and tests are not new to us. We all have stories of what we have gone through. There isn’t a person that can say everyday was perfect and I have never had a problem. So how do we get to the place that James records here as saying, “consider it pure joy when you are faced with trials of many kinds.” Each trial is unique. Some endure more than others, and we all have different journeys to the same destination. Hopefully.
I admit that some may be a little embarrassed when we get to heaven and are standing next to the martyr, or the soldier, or the battle hardened heroes who have fought the good fight and won the victory. They carry the scars to prove that they were present when the battle was the toughest. They never gave up, but persevered. I want to encourage you today, that all our battles and trials are unique and we should never align ourselves with what we perceive as our test. The test is our character. How we act in front of others. What we do with our Faith. When we are faced with unbelief and are desparate to know what to do. We can go to the Father and say “help me in my unbelief, because I’m finding it hard to trust right now” God hears our cry and examines the motive of our heart. A sincere heart He will not despise.
Let's do our best to exhibit the fruits of the spirit. Love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control in every trial and temptation. Trusting the Father and relying on the Father. We pass every test not by the quantity of our trials but rather by the quality of our walk by Faith in the Father. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. Galatians 5:22-25.
I assure you that if we apply the Word of God daily to our lives, and live by Faith in our Father, we can pass every test with flying colors. By the way you all get an A+ today for reading today's post!
A test! Are you kidding me? Who would ever consider it pure joy to face a trial? And not to mention there’s a test of faith at the end of it. That just gets me excited. Trials and tests are not new to us. We all have stories of what we have gone through. There isn’t a person that can say everyday was perfect and I have never had a problem. So how do we get to the place that James records here as saying, “consider it pure joy when you are faced with trials of many kinds.” Each trial is unique. Some endure more than others, and we all have different journeys to the same destination. Hopefully.
I admit that some may be a little embarrassed when we get to heaven and are standing next to the martyr, or the soldier, or the battle hardened heroes who have fought the good fight and won the victory. They carry the scars to prove that they were present when the battle was the toughest. They never gave up, but persevered. I want to encourage you today, that all our battles and trials are unique and we should never align ourselves with what we perceive as our test. The test is our character. How we act in front of others. What we do with our Faith. When we are faced with unbelief and are desparate to know what to do. We can go to the Father and say “help me in my unbelief, because I’m finding it hard to trust right now” God hears our cry and examines the motive of our heart. A sincere heart He will not despise.
Let's do our best to exhibit the fruits of the spirit. Love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control in every trial and temptation. Trusting the Father and relying on the Father. We pass every test not by the quantity of our trials but rather by the quality of our walk by Faith in the Father. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. Galatians 5:22-25.
I assure you that if we apply the Word of God daily to our lives, and live by Faith in our Father, we can pass every test with flying colors. By the way you all get an A+ today for reading today's post!
Posted in Easter Devotional