Friday Devo
Scripture:
James 1
2 Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. 3 For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. 4 So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.
2 Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. 3 For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. 4 So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.
Commentary:
1:2 Trials are “tests” that challenge faith (vv. 2–5). When trials occur, one should count it all joy—not meaning mere worldly, temporal happiness, but rather spiritual, enduring, “complete joy” in the Lord who is sovereign over all things, including trials.
1:3 Testing of your faith defines the meaning of a trial for the Christian: as Jesus was “tested” in the wilderness (Matt. 4:1–13), so believers are tested. The Greek dokimion (“testing”) denotes a positive test intended to make one’s faith “genuine” (cf. 1 Pet. 1:7). The result is steadfastness, a life of faithful endurance amid troubles and afflictions.
1:4 Steadfastness leads ultimately to perfection. Believers grow in holiness but are not yet perfected in it; such perfection will be realized only when Jesus returns.
Crossway Bibles, The ESV Study Bible (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2008), 2391.
1:3 Testing of your faith defines the meaning of a trial for the Christian: as Jesus was “tested” in the wilderness (Matt. 4:1–13), so believers are tested. The Greek dokimion (“testing”) denotes a positive test intended to make one’s faith “genuine” (cf. 1 Pet. 1:7). The result is steadfastness, a life of faithful endurance amid troubles and afflictions.
1:4 Steadfastness leads ultimately to perfection. Believers grow in holiness but are not yet perfected in it; such perfection will be realized only when Jesus returns.
Crossway Bibles, The ESV Study Bible (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2008), 2391.
Questions:
- The challenge on Sunday was to TRUST God and His process, even when we experience trials, pain an difficulty. Why? Because of the acronym... because pain is T - Temporary. No matter how bad it is, it's only for a little while. Morning is on the way. It's R - Revealing. Pain will always bring our weaknesses and shortcomings to the surface. It's U - Useful. God works all things together for the good of those that are in Christ. It's S - Sanctifying. Being tested grows our faith, refines us, and makes us more like Jesus. And finally, it's T - Transformative. If you choose to trust TRUTH over FEELINGS, you'll come out of the other side something different. Our suffering in Christ is ALWAYS for our ultimate, eventual good and His ultimate, eventual glory. How can you grow your level of trust through your own pain? Do you think it's possible to, as James said, to "consider it pure joy when we face trials of many kinds"?
- What has God been saying to you this week through our study of Psalm 22? What do you need to do or change? How can you grow your TRUST level today?
Prayer Topics:
- That you would learn to TRUST God, even when you don't understand.
- That God would comfort you in your time of need.
This Week's City 7:
Try to commit to memory!
5. Why do I follow Jesus? I follow Jesus because Jesus rose from the dead proving that He is the way, the truth and the life.
(Matthew 7:24-27; John 14:6)
(Matthew 7:24-27; John 14:6)
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