“Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you will know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything” James 1:2–4

My husband quotes these verses a lot. I used to feel uncomfortable when he did because I knew I did not “count it joy” when I had difficulties. I often thought of trials as a nuisance. But God has been teaching me, and finally it has become clear to me why I need to count it all joy.

Recently, I read Majestic is Your Name. This book contains a collection of writings by Teresa of Avila, who lived during the fifteenth century. She wrote,

“Be happy when you are blamed and accused wrongly, for then you have the chance to see all the bitter, hostile, or self-pitying responses that your sinful soul wants to spew out— as if these puny things could in any way defend you! Watch and see if any of these poisons come out of you when your spirit is pricked by an accusation. Only then can you see yourself as you are, and confess thy sin that is within you, and forsake yourself again into the Lord’s care.”

You see, when we run into difficulties or accusations, we can choose to respond in joy, or we can react negatively. Our response is the barometer as to how we are doing spiritually.

I encourage you to choose to respond with joy to every difficulty or nuisance that comes your way today. It is an act of affirming that God is the blessed controller of all things.

Lord Jesus, I do thank You for the trials that come into my life. Whenever my soul is pricked by a sarcastic remark, or I am misunderstood or slighted by someone, my reaction to this lets me realize again that I am a sinner, desperately in need of Your strength to respond in love and kindness and patience. Thank You for continually pointing out my need of total reliance on You. Amen.

By Katherine Kehler
Used by Permission

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– So You Can Shine Brightly

“You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.”  Matthew 5:14-16 NLT

A three-way light bulb illuminates a room, at various degrees of brightness, depending upon the wattage you choose. For a light bulb to work, you need to fasten it into a socket, have a trustworthy energy source, and switch on the lamp. Without such thought and action, the light remains off, and your room stays dark.

In the same fashion that a light bulb illuminates a room, your life has the power to brighten the lives of those around you. However, to keep your spiritual glow, it’s vital for you to recognize how God wired you and what He has empowered you to do. Knowing which personality type you are, an extrovert or an introvert, will help you live and function at your optimum capacity.

The difference between the two is; extroverts are very social and gain their energy by being around people. They are alive and vibrant when attending events and social gatherings. Left alone, they quickly lose their energy and flare for life. Typically, they shine best at the sparkling 125-watt setting of a three-way light bulb.

On the other hand, introverts are less social, and gain their energy when alone. Being in large crowds and having to attend many activities, absorbs their energy and ability to function well. They’re most effective in smaller settings and require much quiet time to refuel and keep going. Solitude and simplicity are a healthier way of life for introverts. Normally, they shine best at the serene 50–75-watt setting of a three-way light bulb.

“We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us.”  Romans 12:6 NIV

If you are an extrovert playing it safe by functioning in the role of an introvert, you will quickly become bored, unfulfilled, and lose your vibrant glow. God wired you a certain way and desires that you find the outlet(s) that you can plug into where you can shine brighter and have a wider impact on the lives of others.

If you are an introvert functioning in an extroverts’ setting for a length of time, without appropriate times of rest and renewal, you run the risk of burning out. Thus, it’s wise to allow God to lead you to the good deeds, He desires, according to the grace He gives you; so you won’t burnout. You’ll be happier, and you’ll have the energy to keep shining brightly.

Whether you are an extrovert or introvert, when you permit God’s Holy Spirit to energize you from within, for the various things God empowers you to do, you’ll happily and powerfully shine brightly for the Lord and illuminate the lives around you.

“Lord, You are my lamp; the Lord illuminates my darkness.” 2 Samuel 22:29 HCSB

By Barbara Alpert
used by permission

FURTHER READING

• His Gifts and Powers
• Giving Away Our Gifts
• The Holy Spirit: Giver of Gifts

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“Be still, and know that I am God…”  Psalm 46:10

“Abby, come quickly to the garage.”  I knew she would be so excited to see the chunky caterpillar crawling on the floor.  As predicted, she was thrilled by my discovery and wanted to keep him.  Minutes later, our little friend had a new home in a plastic container filled with grass and leaves.

Abby awoke early the next day to check on the critter.  To her surprise, the caterpillar had encased himself in a cocoon in the top corner of the plastic box.  We were so excited because we knew it would only be a matter of time until a beautiful moth would emerge from the cocoon.  It is so fascinating to watch God at work in the life cycle of insects and how He transforms them into new beings.

Now, my daughter and I are waiting. And waiting… And waiting…  We check the plastic container several times a day to investigate for signs of change in the cocoon.  Sadly, the encasement is dormant, no activity has been detected.  It is hard for us to be patient and continue to wait.  We are ready to see the beautiful designs on the wings of this new creature.

The moth has reminded me that sometimes in life, I have to learn to be still and wait on God.  Many times I pray diligently for specific areas of my life and I sense God telling me to wait- wait on Him for His perfect timing.   I have faith God has good things in store for me.  I’m reassured God will help me grow and mature, just like the moth is growing and maturing right now in its cocoon.  I need to pursue an attitude of forbearance and wait on the perfect timing of my Savior, for He knows what is best for me.  Maybe you have a “moth” that you are waiting on in your own life.  Do not lose hope.  Waiting is rarely ever easy. But find hope in reflecting on what the moth begins as and then to the wonderful transformation that entails.  God wants to help us become beautiful beings in His sight.  We just need to trust Him to complete the metamorphosis.

By Alisha Ritchie
used by permission

FURTHER READING

• Waiting on God
• Anointed but Waiting
• The Silent Waiting

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“After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly.” Acts 4:31

My attitude had sunk to the bottom, in huge clumps of self-pity and feelings of unworthiness. I’d become frustrated trying to find the best way to be God’s salt to a world that needed it so desperately. Each attempt only weighed me down further, like trying to climb out of a sandy pit with boulders in my pockets.

It says in Acts 4:31 that after the disciples prayed, the walls shook and the Holy Spirit filled them. When I read that, it hit me. I needed to stop and pray. Pray to be shaken a bit to redistribute my attitude, sense of purpose, and mission. It reminded me of the way a salt shaker is tapped get all the clumped salt to dislodge. That way it can be used again, and it is easier to determine how much more it will need to be refilled.

So I prayed:

Lord, Let your Holy Spirit shake my walls and empty me of all my worries and self-doubts so You can fill me up with Your presence. Dislodge the worries that are clumping together the talents You gave me to be Your salt. Where I am lacking, fill me once again. Amen.

Thought: – The next time you feel too deep in the valley and you’re wondering if you are making a difference, pick up the Bible and read about how the Holy Spirit worked through the early disciples in Acts 2-4. Dare to ask God to shake you up a bit so He can fill you anew with the Holy Spirit. Then Praise Him.

By Julie Cosgrove
Used by Permission

FURTHER READING

•  Spiritual Oxygen: Are You Getting Enough?

•  How to be Filled with the Holy Spirit

•  How you can Walk in the Spirit – printable lesson (pdf file)

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God rejoices as your Abba.

You are His child on the authority of His Word. He ordained you and brought you forth.

Hear God’s Word for you in Psalm 22:9. The psalmist said,

“You brought me out of the womb; you made me trust in you even at my mother’s breast.”

And in Psalm 71:6. “From birth I have relied on you…I will ever praise you.”

Receive God’s work as He cleanses deep wounds that you received from words and actions in your family of origin. Receive the ministry of Jehovah-Rapha, the healing covenant name of eternal God, as He works in the core of your being. Receive His healing, blessing, and deep release. The Spirit of your Father lives in you to heal and make you whole.

The Spirit of truth and the God of all mercy is ready to bring new life. Receive His cleansing from all hurtful memories, feelings, and emotions. Jesus died to set you free. Release all pain to Him. God promised in His word that He would wash you and make you whiter than snow (Isaiah 1:18).

Be blessed as God fills up the hole in your heart, those empty spaces, that bottomless pit that craves nearness, affirmation, connection, and significance, and yet fears it, is unable to receive it, and runs away from it. Be at peace, and receive healing from wounds caused by lack of bonding. Receive cleansing from attachment wounds, as Father-God binds you to Himself with cords that cannot be broken.

God fed His Son with His words of approval that nourished Him emotionally.

“A voice came from heaven: ‘You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased‘” (Mark 1:11).

These words strengthened Jesus in His inner being. If the Son of God needed these words of affirmation from His Father, how much more do you!

You longed to hear words like that from your earthly father. Receive your heavenly Father’s words, “I love you. I am pleased with you.” Let your heavenly Father, father you.

Be blessed to rest secure and safe in His love.

By Sylvia Gunter
Used by Permission

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Further Reading

•   He Lets me Rest

•   God, our Shield

•  Salvation Explained

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“For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God. The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, ‘Abba, Father.’” Romans 8:14-15

Recently my wife and I bumped into a friend and his son whom we had not seen for a year. In that time, the teenager had grown from boy to young man, from thin and wiry to broad-shouldered and tall — and his voice was lower, too.

In addition to growing up physically, the young man was ever more like his dad — upbeat and positive, brimming with good. The boy seemed a “chip off the old block.”

And he’s adopted.

If you were to see father and son side-by-side, you would probably know it; the boy’s dark hair and eyes stand out in contrast to his dad’s Scandinavian complexion. But they are family.

The Apostle Paul says that when we are led by the Spirit of God, we become His children, His offspring through adoption. We may be in body and He may be in Spirit, but at the core, we are family. We have been freed from spiritual slavery and fear. Within the body of Christ we differ in race and nation, but deep down we’re family, born of God. We call Him “Daddy” (the affectionate meaning of “Abba”).

As a child adopted by God, I need to ask myself if people can tell I’m carrying the family name, if I’m living by the Spirit. John reminds us of the telling sign: “By this everyone will know that you are My disciples, if you love one another” John 13:35.

Can others tell that we belong to God’s family? Do they see us bearing His complexion?

God, thank You for adopting me into Your family. May my life honor Your reputation as a loving and caring Father. Amen.

By Dr. Bill Strom
Used by Permission


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Read: Psalm 1

The Bible declares the Lord’s great power and majesty while also revealing His deep mercy and love. He is worthy of wholehearted, passionate submission, but He doesn’t often get it. Are you among the few who offer themselves to Him without reservation?

Complete obedience is a choice to follow God regardless of the consequences. This means that we obey the Lord even if our friends choose a different path or when suffering or embarrassment is guaranteed. Seeing His will done is more important than our own comfort or personal ambition. We commit the consequences to God and cling to His promises: He will never leave us (Hebrews 13:5), and He makes good out of every situation (Romans 8:28).

Notice the word ‘commitment‘ in the title of today’s devotion. I’m not writing about obedience that is born of the moment (as in, I choose to follow God in this instance) but about submission as a way of life. Setting restrictions on compliance is so tempting–we want to be able to change our mind when obeying upsets our lifestyle, the final result is unclear, or we’re just plain scared. But let me ask you this one sobering question: If Jesus is the Lord of your life, what right do you have to limit how and when you’ll do His will?

Believers have no right to set their own limits; their one criterion for making decisions should be, What does God want me to do? The answer at times may cause suffering, but obedience is always right. And following God in all things is the surest path to favor and spiritual growth.

By Dr. Charles Stanley

Used by permission
https://www.intouch.org/

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“I am Jesus…now get up and go… “ Acts 9:5 (Amplified Bible)

Have you ever experienced a mountain top encounter with God? A time when He seemed so close you could almost touch His arm, almost feel His whispers in your ear? Oh, to stay in such intimacy, to never again face the rigors of the unwanted job, the unloving people, the earthly challenges of disease, discouragement, disorder, even one’s own weakness and failure. To always know exactly what Jesus wants, how to best follow and obey Him.

A first century man had such an encounter, one he wasn’t anticipating. He was certain of his understanding of God. He was sure of the “right way” to follow God. He was not only vigilant in preaching against those who differed from his understanding, but was determined to purify the faith in which he had been schooled and which he defended.

And then God intervened. It wasn’t geographically a mountain top, but when God appeared as a “light from heaven” and spoke with an unmistakable voice to Saul, the message was clear: “Get up and go and you will be told what to do.” True, Saul was blind and helpless, needing to be led by the hand like a child, but for the rest of his life, as he repeated the story of God’s intervention, he included his response and God’s further command to “get up and go.”

Jesus invited three of his closest friends one day to accompany him to a mountain top. The encounter was unprecedented, and while the friends didn’t understand it all and were even afraid, they wanted to stay in that place, to be this close to God. Jesus gives no specific command to “get up and go,” instead the gospel writers simply record, “they came down from the mountain.” They returned to the reality of ordinary ministry.

Mountain top experiences feed our souls, encourage our commitment and give us new and precious moments with God. But then we must come down. What God has allowed and encouraged now becomes food for the journey, drink for our thirst and sustenance for those around us.

Get up and go.

Father God, it’s so comfortable here in my rocking chair, in my quiet corner away from the noise and problems of the world. I desperately need these moments, God, but help me understand them to be special gifts to see you better, understand you more, accomplish with greater vigor the call you’ve given.

By Marilyn Ehle

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Paul said in 1 Corinthians 13:4, “Love does not envy!” A number of years ago I learned of a new church across town. A friend came to me with this report: The church is great. It’s bursting at the seams—the largest one in town. A more spiritual Max would have rejoiced. A more mature Max would have thanked God. But the Max who heard the report did not act mature or spiritual. He acted jealous. Rather than celebrate God’s work, I was obsessed with my own. I wanted our church to be the biggest. Sickening!

In a profound moment of conviction, God let me know that the church is his church, not mine. The work is his work, not mine. And my life is his life, not mine. My job was not to question him, but to trust him. The cure for jealousy? Trust!

By Max Lucado

From: A Love Worth Giving
Used by permission

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“See, I have refined you, though not as silver; I have tested you in the furnace of affliction” Isaiah 48:10 (NIV)

“Stop that!” yelled the lump of clay as the Potter pounded and kneaded and squeezed it.
But the Potter said, “Not yet.”
Then the wheel spun and the clay grew dizzy.
“Let me off!” she yelled.  But the Potter said, “Not yet.”
Three times the Potter painted the clay and baked her in a hot oven.
“Stop, please!  I can’t take any more!” screamed the clay.
Then, when all seemed hopeless, the Potter removed her from the oven.

Instead of the lump, there sat a gorgeous vase, brilliantly painted and decorated with gold.

Dear one, Christ is the Potter and knows what each clay requires to come out shining.
It sometimes takes much heat.  He knows because He too suffered.

So trust and worship Him.  Wait until you see the glorious, shining future He has in store for you!

By Vonette Bright

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“Once you were alienated from God … but now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation.” Colossians 1:22

Thought

“Christians aren’t perfect, just forgiven!” You’ve probably seen this bumper sticker or something similar. In one sense this is absolutely true. But, from God’s point of view, Christians ARE perfect. That’s the incredible message Paul gives the Colossians. Because of Jesus’ sacrifice, God does not see our imperfections. He sees us through Christ’s perfection. Look at these concepts and marvel! Look at how God views you and give thanks! Be humbled by God’s grace to us in Jesus and rejoice! Holy, without blemish, and free from accusation — there’s nothing left to say but “Hallelujah!”

Prayer

Father, thank you for providing the sacrifice that makes me clean. Thank you for seeing my worth through the perfection of Jesus and his sacrifice. Thank you, Lord Jesus, for paying off my debt to sin and for sharing your perfection with me. May my life today, and everyday, more closely resemble the perfection you have given me by your grace. In the name of my Savior Jesus, I pray. Amen.

By Phil Ware

used with permission.
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