James 1:2-4 (Devotion)

"Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing."

COUNT IT - James begins this teaching by calling for us believers (the church) to stop, recollect, and literally quantify how faithful the Lord has been in our lives despite the trials we have previously faced. How often do we stop and intentionally remember spiritual markers though?

ALL JOY - We are called not to find a shred of joy in our trials but to declare every aspect of the trial we face a blessing and gift from God that our character and countenance would be sharpened and refined through it.

MY BROTHERS - What distinguishes Christians from unbelievers is that we do not run or avoid trials but we embrace them as a family unit, coming alongside the needs of one another in trial. We also do not curse or question God for the trial because our identity in Christ as brothers calls us to a higher standard.

WHEN YOU - James admonishes us not "IF" we will each face trials, but "WHEN" we face trials. Therefore we must prepare our hearts and not be blindsided when adversity arrives.

MEET TRIALS - Trials are intended as opportunities for growth that we face head on, not run from, ignore or minimize. Conversely, we are not to be so consumed by them that we are incapacitated by them or they become a stronghold in our hearts.

OF VARIOUS KINDS - Be wise to expect trials but do not assume you know where, how and through whom they will come. Trust in God's sovereignty and do not be naive or easily shaken. For Satan knows our weaknesses and purposes to exploit them in a variety of schemes just as God seeks to use what Satan would intend for evil to sanctify us. Therefore, regardless through whom the trial comes, embrace God's sovereign will in full surrender and obedience to His Word.

Webster's 1828 Dictionary defines steadfastness as "firmness of mind or purpose; fixedness in principle; constancy; resolution; as the steadfastness of faith." In other words, when our faith is tested and refined in and through trials, what is produced is faithful endurance that is firm, resolute and unshakable.  And as we grow in holiness, we are perfected through the Son in our steadfastness.

Some may balk at the notion that our faith needs to he tested, but even Jesus' faith was tested in the wilderness (Matt. 4).  A faith test is simply a measuring stick or spiritual thermometer to see how firmly grounded or steadfast you are in your faith. I liken it to Jesus teaching of building a house upon the sand versus the rock. In the end, the result is the same, which is our sanctification. The real question is whether we allow the trial to take its full course or do we strive to shorten it or escape to some degree. James would say to let it take its full effect, for in the end God will reveal to you all you needed to learn in due time.

Proverbs 10:19 (Devotion)

"When words are many, transgression is not lacking, but whoever restrains his lips is prudent."

I don't think any of us men would disagree that our words can have a negative impact on others....just ask our wives! Yet I believe in the language of Scripture it is easy to gloss over fancy words such as "transgression" and "prudent." If we slow down and define words more clearly though, we'll not only understand the wisdom of this proverb, but God-willing apply its truth to our lives more frequently.

According to Noah Webster's 1828 Dictionary (which was originally written from a Biblical perspective), a "transgression" is defined as "the act of passing over or beyond any law or rule of moral duty; the violation of a moral law; breach of command." Therefore in applying this definition to Proverb 10:19, when our words are many, the potential opportunity for our moral compass begins to sway away from blessing and more to cursing. Conversely, "prudent" is defined by Webster as "cautious, practically wise, careful of the consequences," thus giving us the end in mind to calculate the impact of our words before they are spoken. I dare say that conflict resolution in marriage is a prime application in context of these definitions.

In the end, we must recognize our patterns of communication with others, and particularly in marriage. For me, I can easily fall into a trap of talking too much and not listening to understand others, especially my wife. I can be focused more on my defense or rebuttal than hearing the truth of an argument made against me. In truth, pride is the driving force, but it cannot be an excuse that hinders me from making positive change. I must learn to tame my tongue, and as my mother preached repeatedly to me as a child, "Think before you speak!" Only then will I begin to build a new discipline of not only measuring my words, but ensuring they are morally and Biblically sound before they are spoken.

Psalm 51:1-2 (Devotion)

"Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin!"

The path of reconciliation to God begins with an acknowledgment of who God is. He is our creator, our judge and our redeemer. He is the Alpha and Omega, the author of life, and only through Him can forgiveness of sin be attained. More importantly as David affirms, God is the author and administer of mercy, and thus we simply cannot undervalue how critical His mercy is. Because without it, we are declared guilty without excuse. 

It is critical we understand that His love is the reason why He gives mercy, not because we deserve it. What we deserve is wrath, for His law (Scripture) declares that sin must be judged. But because He loves, He provided a way of escape for our eternal judgment by sacrificing His Son on the cross on our behalf.  And that is the epitome of mercy--not punishing us for what we deserve, but through grace providing an even greater gift of salvation and atonement that we do not deserve nor can never payback.

Cleansing of sin must be universal though, for all roots of sin must be eradicated like cancer for the whole body to survive. But there must also be specificity in order to determine that we fully understand the breadth and depth of our sins, otherwise we are more apt to fall victim again. When we take the time to acknowledge exactly what we did and how we ended up in our pit of guilt and shame, we begin the process of reconciliation realizing that only He can cleanse us because He is almighty. For time taken to reflect points to seeds of brokenness, and that is the ultimate goal God seeks for our sanctification.

Acts 9:1-19 (Devotion)

"But Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest and asked him for letters to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any belonging to the Way, men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. Now as he went on his way, he approached Damascus, and suddenly a light from heaven shone around him. And falling to the ground he heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?” And he said, “Who are you, Lord?” And he said, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. But rise and enter the city, and you will be told what you are to do.” The men who were traveling with him stood speechless, hearing the voice but seeing no one. Saul rose from the ground, and although his eyes were opened, he saw nothing. So they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus. And for three days he was without sight, and neither ate nor drank. Now there was a disciple at Damascus named Ananias. The Lord said to him in a vision, “Ananias.” And he said, “Here I am, Lord.” And the Lord said to him, “Rise and go to the street called Straight, and at the house of Judas look for a man of Tarsus named Saul, for behold, he is praying, and he has seen in a vision a man named Ananias come in and lay his hands on him so that he might regain his sight.” But Ananias answered, “Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much evil he has done to your saints at Jerusalem. And here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who call on your name.” But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he is a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before the Gentiles and kings and the children of Israel. For I will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name.” So Ananias departed and entered the house. And laying his hands on him he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus who appeared to you on the road by which you came has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” And immediately something like scales fell from his eyes, and he regained his sight. Then he rose and was baptized; and taking food, he was strengthened."

Knowing how Saul was terrorizing Christians at that time, it is no surprise that Ananias was extremely hesitant/nervous/fearful about the Lord's request for him to give a message to Saul on His behalf. I dare say this would have been the most uncomfortable Ananias had ever been in his life, yet he trusted the Lord in obedience and chose to do what the Lord commanded. He chose to obey despite what his flesh was adamantly against.

We all cater to our comforts...it's our natural fleshly reaction. But how often do we choose to step forward in faith and do what is uncomfortable? We tend to calculate personal risk analysis in our faith application which often talks us out of sharing the Gospel or having any faith-related discussion with others. Some of us aren't "talkers" or "writers" so we choose silence over participation and use those excuses as crutches to fall back on to justify our lukewarm behavior or insecurities. Why? What is holding us back as Christians who are saved and have made our faith public in baptism? We can no longer be silent. We must embrace discomfort so that we become acquainted and comfortable with it, otherwise we will continue to marginally grow in our faith by choosing to isolate rather than embrace our faith community. If we wait to step forward or speak up till we become more comfortable, we will never grow to the potential Christ has in store for us. Let this be the moment YOU choose to embrace discomfort once and for all and interact in dialogue so that your countenance and the countenance of others can be sharpened for the glory of God.

Hebrews 12:3-7 (Devotion)

"Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted. In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. And have you forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons? “My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor be weary when reproved by him.  For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives.”  It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline?"

It is imperative that we as followers of Christ understand that God's purpose for our lives is our sanctification. We endure trials, hardships and persecution because through these, God admonishes, encourages, challenges and strengthens every fabric of our being in order that we may come to know Christ more intimately. None of us have suffered or will ever suffer to the point of shedding blood as Jesus did and the weight behind the choice He made for us. We can only accept His priceless gift and live our lives saved henceforth in praise and thanksgiving.

What we can draw our attention to is understanding that the discipline of the Lord is necessary for us to mature in our faith. Discipline is always purposeful when administered by God, so there is no need to resist it. We must embrace it and thank God for it. I can remember countless times when God allowed me to choose sin and its consequences and times when He prevented me from falling farther than I could have. In both cases, His hand acted in love and solely because of love. Why would I ever grumble or complain about that? Rather, I believe a perspective change is imperative to ensure we embrace God's timing and purpose for discipline if we are grow up in our faith. Because without it, we are vulnerable to misinterpreting God's will for our lives and why He does what He does, when and how He chooses.