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The Daily Devotions of Greg Laurie                                  

http://www.harvest.org/devotional/daily-devotions/home.ht   

“Homily Grits Devotional”   http://www.homilygrits.com/

James 1:2-4… My brethren, count it alljoy when you fall into various trials, ³ knowing thatthe testing of your faith produces patience. ⁴ But letpatience have its perfectwork, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.  (NKJV)

Anyone still living in the world of sin and shame, with Satan as their father (John 8:43-44), can in no way understand what the Apostle James (Jesus’ half brother) is teaching Christians in the opening scripture…1 Corinthians 1:18…&…2:9-16…   Who in their right mortal mind would look at a trial in life, and find joy ??  And yet, God’s Word is truth, so how is this possible ??

First and foremost, the person going through the trial must be a believer…  We see in the opening scripture, where the Apostle James is writing to believers (“My brethren”)…  And as a believer, the Christian now has the mind of Christ (1 Corinthians 2:16); so their thoughts about all things should change…  

James tells us that it is “the testing of your faith” which “produces patience”…  The Christian has to have absolute saving faith in Jesus Christ, in order to first become a child of God…Hebrews 11:6…  And this justification by faith produces peace with God…Romans 5:1…  Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with Godthrough our Lord Jesus Christ,  (NKJV)

God becomes the Christian’s Father in heaven…taking the place of Satan, their previous father before salvation…  But the Christian’s faith and trust in the Lord must never waver…  It is the trials of life that God uses to test the faith of His children…  Each time a Christian goes through a trial, and they pass God’s test of faith…they become a little stronger in their faith, and a little closer to the Lord… 

It becomes easier and easier to resist the temptations of the Christians own carnal flesh, and Satan’s attacks…as the Christian grows in spiritual wisdom, through daily feeding from the Word of God…Matthew 4:4…   By remaining submitted to following the urging of the Holy Spirit, to turn from and confess all sins (1 John 1:9), the maturing Christian will constantly being conformed into the image of Christ…Romans 8:29…    

The Apostle James pens this, in…James 4:7-8… Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. ⁸ Drawnear to God and He will drawnear to you. Cleanse your hands, yousinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.  (NKJV)

The writer of Hebrews pens scripture very much the same as James, in…Hebrews 10:22-23… let us drawnear with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our heartssprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. ²³ Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful.  (NKJV)

The Apostle James tells us in the opening scripture, that consistently passing the testing of our faith in God through trials, “produces patience”…  And then James tells us…“But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing”…  As Christian’s we will only become perfect upon our death, when we are in glory with the Lord (1 John 3:2); or at the rapture, if this occurs first…1 Thessalonians 4:17…

But we as Christian’s can “be perfect and complete” in Jesus Christ…“lacking nothing”…when we are “Walking in the Spirit, as God’s obedient children, who seek to continuously pass the test of true faith in our Lord Jesus Christ…

Heavenly Father, help all of Your children see the truth found in Your Word today…  Help us to remain faithful to doing our very best to living in Your will and Your ways…  I pray for this fullness of Christ for all of us, in Jesus’ most precious name and for His sake…Amen…

Blessings in Christ,  bruce r mills 

P.S.  “In Touch Ministries” magazine, titled…“The Rewards of Patience”, was my inspiration for today’s thoughts…  Click below to listen to this 3:44 minute devotional, and be blessed !!

http://www.intouch.org/magazine/content.aspx?topic=The_Rewards_of_Patience_devotional3#.UZYwlNgSqSo