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Topic: Strengthened Through Trials
[DCLM Daily Manna 24 June 2019 Daily Devotional by Pastor William Folorunso Kumuyi]
Text: James 1:1-15 (KJV)
Key Verse: “Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing” (James 1:3,4).
MESSAGE:
The scene is being replayed over and over again. The devil had always thought he could crush and destroy the believer and his faith by throwing him into the fire of suffering and affliction. But each time, he had found that his plot, instead of crushing and destroying the Christian faith, had only succeeded in perfecting it and making it better. That was the case with Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego when Nebuchadnezzar threw them into the fiery furnace, thinking he would destroy them and their faith. But he ended up promoting them and their faith. Trials do not kill the believer; rather, they make him better.
This is the message the Lord is passing across to us today. Our text encourages believers not to dread trials nor misunderstand them to mean that they have fallen out of favour with God. When we are faced with unexplainable challenges that seem unbearable to us, let us not think or feel the Lord has abandoned us. Rather, let us know that the Lord has permitted them in order to bring out the best in us.
Trials, difficulties, afflictions, persecutions and temptations are the usual experiences of true Christians. It is therefore, important that the Christian puts up the right attitude at such moments. When trials come, we are not to grumble, feel dejected and cast down. Neither are we to mourn and be sorrowful. Instead, we are to rejoice, counting it all joy knowing that such trying moments have been allowed to perfect us. At such a time, we are to patiently endure the trials. When we struggle to free ourselves from such trials by trying some carnal solutions, we will miss the purpose in our lives. So, we must patiently endure. This is why we need to ask God in prayer for grace and wisdom for such moments. And as we ask in faith without doubting, God will respond with great mercy and benevolence.
Thought For The Day: Trials only come to make you strong.
The Bible In One Year: 1 Kings 9–10
