If at First You Don't Succeed, Trial, Trial Again....

Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may become mature and complete, not lacking anything.         

- James 1:2-4

For any of us that have studied the bible, we know that the book of James is probably one of the most practical listing of moral and practical advice and rules for living that God has blessed us with. As proof, the first verses of the book start out with one of the most powerful and famous verses in the Bible. Most of the time, and I'm guilty of this myself, I gloss over the verse, appreciating its power and wisdom, and continue with the rest of the chapter. Even taken at face value, this verse is one that will uplift us and help us as we experience trials in our life. Who doesn't experience trials? Even those that we think are completely happy and "have it all," experience trials and troubles in their lives'. It is probably safe to say that at most points in our lives', we are experiencing some type of trial, whether it be big or small, it is one that we pray about unceasingly until the next trial arrives. We can guarantee that life will not be easy for anyone, but it's how we deal with the trials that makes us who we are, which leads us into the deeper meaning of the verse.

If we break the verse down, we can see a natural progression. Granted, I am not wise enough to come up with this on my own. I visited BibleGateway.com and looked in the IVP New Testament Commentary, which is a fantastic and FREE resource which will enhance your understanding of the verses. That said, the progression that James is helping us to realize goes something like this:

Trials >  Testing >  Perseverance >  Maturity

Therefore, what James is saying is that the trials that we face bring about an indeterminate period of testing, which then gives us perseverance, and once we are able to persevere in pure joy, we become mature, and God responds to our pleas. Oh yippee! So, all I have to do is go through the four steps, then I'll get what I want??? Not necessarily. What we learn is that by going through these steps to maturity, we are able to illustrate pure joy, and in turn, realize that we may not get exactly what we asked for, but are purely joyous for what God blesses us with....and you can guarantee that it is what we truly need.

Did you note how many times I used the phrase "pure joy?" When I use that phrase, it is not done lightly. Pure joy is a state that is not easy to attain. We can laugh and be happy, but pure joy is when we truly are satisfied and stable in whatever state we are in. So, you must be able to put away the anxieties and worries that are coming from your trial, and find the pure joy and peace that only God can provide. Wow, that IS a tall order for sure! You do not have to forget your trial, or not address that it's happening, but you DO have to persevere with the heart that only a Christian possesses. One that is fulfilled and knows life's purpose. Maturity is something we all strive for, and once attained, must be practiced in order to continue in that state of mind and behavior.

Before you get depressed, don't be. God doesn't say that he will not grant our requests if we're not spiritually mature. It takes a LONG time to reach that level, but the pattern of these trials and perseverance that we experience in our lifetime brings us to this point. When I run out of milk, and the grocery is closed, and I know that my son will want his morning routine of cereal, this is a trial, but God doesn't expect me to become spiritually mature overnight! Remember that in Matthew 26, we learn that Jesus was so scared and filled with grief about His upcoming sacrifice that He prayed three times in the Garden of Gethsemane for God to release Him, or "take this cup," from Him so that He may not have to go through what God had commanded. Jesus did not want to go through this trial, but He chose to obey His Father, and we must live by the example that Jesus set for us. 

Sometimes we get to choose our trials, like filing for bankruptcy may put us in a financial trial for a period of time, and sometimes we do not have a choice, such as yourself or a family member being diagnosed with terminal cancer. However, we are expected by God to face each trial, and treat it with the progression that we read about in James 1:2-4. God wants us to succeed. He is our Father, and as we watch our children grow, one of our main goals for them is to be mature and act accordingly, God the Father wants the same for us! When we grow up and mature into adulthood, we start to see our parents as wise and know that many times they made the hard choices, but they made us who we are. God is waiting for us to become mature and understand Him in the same way! He is patiently waiting and making those hard decisions for us that will bring us to spiritual maturity. He is saying, "This hurts Me more than it hurts you," and He means it. God never wants our sadness or anger that we often let get the better of us when we are teenagers. He is waiting for us to grow up and mature so that He can put his arm around us while watching our children play in the backyard, and say, "Wow, they act just like you did when you were "growing up." He wants you to look back and Him and say, "Well, I had a great example!" Just picture it, a sunny day cooking out with the family, and God is your guest. You both recall the great stories from your own road to maturity, look back to laugh and even cry, and at the end of the day, He says, "Well done, my good and faithful servant." 

One last thought before closing. I have been going through a trial for about six months now. Throughout the trial, I have experienced a lot of feelings and emotions, many of which I'm not proud of. However, God has not left my side. He has waited for me, but never turned his back. I still struggle every day, and am trying my best to experience pure joy. What shocked me was the other day, I had a wonderful and horrifying thought that I admit, comes and goes, as I experience the up's and down's of life, and I hope that one day this thought will stay with me continuously, and I hate admitting this, but in all honestly, it scares me a little just to share this because it does frighten me a little, but I know it's because I have not reached complete spiritual maturity yet. With that disclaimer, here was my thought (Don't cry, Mom, and don't be mad, Trav):  I am not afraid to die. I'm tired. I'm tired of this world's struggles, with sin and temptations around every corner, and although I don't "want" to die, in fact, I want to live and watch my family grow and have grandchildren, and retire with Travis, and I'm certainly not ready to give up those I love, but I am ready to experience pure joy in the presence of Christ. I want to see God's face and experience this burden of life lifted from my shoulders. As I type this, I am listening to Alan Jackson's version of "The Old Rugged Cross." I am reminded of the burdens and trials that I will be able to lay down, and be called to My Home far away, where His glory forever I'll share. Who knew that such a rugged journey could lead to such a priceless reward?!?! Praise God! 

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Dear God, Thank you for your patience with me, and the trials that you have presented me with to overcome. Please help me to someday achieve spiritual maturity, and stand with those saints that I remember from my old country church growing up, and always admired for their great wisdom and pure joy. Thank you for blessing me with these devotions, as they are only what you lay on my heart to be passed to all those who wish to read what I humbly try to present about Your blessings in my own life. Lord, I don't ask that you make my life easier, but I ask You for the strength to make it through the life that you want me to live. Please bless my family, friends, and those who do not look favorably upon me, for it is not them that I have to be worried about, but I do lovingly pray for their salvation. Lord, I specifically ask that you please bless me with the job that I have been interviewing for at CCU, and if not there, the Messer job....I just ask that you bless me with a job where I can use my talents to serve others, and ultimately, serve You. I love you, Lord, and I ask that you stay with me, and give me the strength and pure joy to overcome this trial, and help it line the path to my spiritual maturity. Please relieve me of my anxiety and fears, and give me the self-discipline to stick with this ministry, and please help it to help someone out there, and Bless all those who read Your words through me. In the name of Jesus,  -Amen

You're Never too Old.....

My son, do not despise the Lord's discipline, and do not resent his rebuke, because the Lord disciplines those he loves, as a father the son he delights in.                                                                - Proverbs 3:11-12

In Proverbs, Solomon gives the reader many words of the wisdom for which he was made famous. It is a text full of insights that are timeless and applicable as much today as they were thousands of years ago. One of the important areas of God's love is discipline, and this is absolutely one that we don't like to talk about....especially when we are the ones being disciplined. However, throughout the bible, God talks about disciplining His children, and how because of His love for us, He must discipline Christians when they stray from Him, and bring them back into His loving embrace. 

Most of us can remember quite well being disciplined as children by our parents or grandparents. Some of us were spanked, some given time-out, and still others received different types of discipline, as every parent/guardian has a different technique. Some of us also needed a lot more supervision than others. ;-) At the time, we usually didn't feel that we deserved punishment, but as adults looking back, we see a different picture, and know that our parents had to discipline us in order to ensure our safety, and guide us as we grew into adults. Our parents loved us enough to discipline us, even though it broke their heart as much as it did our own. We can see this clearly now that we have grown up.

As adults, we don't often realize that we can still be disciplined, this time by our Heavenly Father. Pride keeps us from admitting that although we don't participate in childish behaviors from years gone by, we still behave sinfully as adults, and need to be disciplined when we fall short of God's expectations. Granted, God has a plan, and not everyone is punished (that we can tell), and God doesn't discipline us all in the same ways. For example, at one point in my life, everything was going well. I had a good job, was working on my doctorate, my family was well, my marriage was great, our finances were good, and I forgot about my relationship with the Lord, who had given me all those things. My prayer life almost ceased to exist, and I only went to church when I "felt" like it. I even avoided phone calls with my parents on Sundays or Monday mornings because I knew they would ask if I went to church or not! Talk about sinful!!

The Lord allowed me behave this way for so long, waiting for me to return to him (I suspect), and giving me time to correct myself. Unfortunately, I didn't do this on my own, and God disciplined me, and gave me the opportunity to see what I was really missing in my life, which was Him. I lost my job, didn't do as well in my courses as I could, our finances got pretty tight, and I spent a lot of days at home, alone, reflecting on all the bad things that were happening to me. All of a sudden, perspective came to me one day. I cannot remember how or why, but I started praying again with my son every night before bed, and I realized that God was disciplining me, and, I truly deserved it. I had neglected to give thanks and praise to God, who had made my life so great in the first place! Somehow, by realizing that God was disciplining me, and that I deserved it, joy came back into my life! God has since then helped me to begin to turn things around. 

So, are we behaving in a way that needs discipline, or are we giving the proper thanks and worship to God, for all blessings? Job managed to thank God even in the worst despair I could imagine, and he was a Godly man! The truth is, we all need discipline at some point in our lives', and it's important that we know how to proactively correct ourselves before the Lord has to take some action to get us back in line. God wants us to be happy, but we can only truly be happy when we are living daily and walking with Him! He wants our attention, and the same love we have shown to our parents, as He is our Father, watching over our safety and well-being even at times that our earthly parents couldn't. 

My earthly father instilled these words of caution about my attitude toward discipline: "Stop crying, or I'll give you something to cry about!" Praise God when we are disciplined because it shows His love for us! 

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Dear God, thank you for your love for me! Thank you for loving me like a parent, and making sure that I follow in your footsteps, and make sure to discipline me when I get out of line. I want to please you, and deserve your blessings, and I ask that you guide me along the path that will lead me to your Kingdom one day. Thank you for the free will that we have to make decisions, and please give me the self-discipline to keep my free will in check and my life focused on Godly things. Please help me to be helping others with my own struggles, and please continue to discipline me when you see fit. In the name of Jesus I pray.  - Amen

Who is in your Inner Circle?

But grant me this one request,” she said. “Give me two months to roam the hills and weep with my friends, because I will never marry.” “You may go,” he said. And he let her go for two months. She and her friends went into the hills and wept because she would never marry.  - Judges 11:37-38

Who is in your inner circle? In Judges 11:37-38, we find that Jephthah's daughter had such close friends that they went into the hills with her for two months to mourn the fact that she would never marry. If we read the chapter, we'll find that she would never marry because she would, in fact, be a sacrifice to the Lord on behalf of her father's victory over the Ammonites. If one of your closest friends asked you to join her for two months on a trip with some other friends, most of us would be more than happy to get away for eight weeks! However, would you be willing to accompany your friend on a two month trip into the wilderness to cry with her and mourn her young life's eminent end? If we were to accompany a friend, would we urge her not to return to her father to be sacrificed? Would we talk about the unfairness of life, and curse her father for his promise to God? I dare say most of us would not support Jephthah's daughter in her choice to return to her father.

We all have friends, some of us have many, and some of us have few. However, we all have an "inner circle" as well; a group of friends that we feel a special bond to, and know that we can turn to them for support when times are good and bad. Many times, we don't communicate regularly with those special friends, but we know they're there no matter what. When we think of our inner circle of friends, are those friends mostly positive or negative in nature? Do they help you find the bright side of situations, or are they always looking for someone to blame situations on? Do your inner circle friends hold you accountable when you are doing something unwise? Basically, ask yourself if your inner circle of friends make you feel better or worse after a conversation with them. If it's worse, then maybe it's time to reconsider your "inner circle." 

Jephthah's daughter was blessed with a very strong inner circle. Although the Bible tells us nothing about her friends, we can make some assumptions based on the actions of those involved. We can assume that the friends were positive, supportive, caring, empathetic, and held her accountable to God. We can safely guess that Jephthah's daughters friends cried and mourned with her, not for her death exactly, but because she would never marry. The friends also made sure that she was held accountable most importantly to God and her earthly father. We can be sure that none of the friends were urging her to escape and not return home, or they would not have made the journey. The friends were so close that they physically felt her pain, and spent two months grieving with her, and preparing her to pass on to her eternal life. They knew that God was a power stronger than any of them, and that doing his will, even in death, was the most important thing she would ever do.

Thank the Lord that Jesus was born, and gave us a new way of life, rid of sacrifices and the old law. We will most likely never have to comfort a friend who will be sacrificed by her father to the Lord. However, we need to ensure that our inner circle of friends would be as strong and dedicated as Jephthah's daughter's friends. Our inner circle influence us, and can be detrimental to our walk with God. If our inner circle of friends aren't Christians, that doesn't mean they cannot continue to be in the "circle," but it does mean that we have to remain dedicated firstly to God, and that friendship should not come between our relationship with the Lord at any time. If it's truly an inner circle friendship, the friend will be supportive of you, and understand that your walk with Christ comes before your walk with her/him. 

Building a strong inner circle isn't easy. You will be betrayed, ignored, and lose many friendships along the way. However, your inner circle is worth the hassle and heartache. When you have not one, but several friends that share your love for the Lord, and understand your walk with Him, then you can be sure that life will become easier. Use your friendships to build yourself up, not tear yourself or others down when something bad happens. 

Most importantly, remember that Jesus is your most trusted friend, and you should have Him in your inner circle. He should be the first one you turn to during good or bad, and be a trusted advisor. He will guide your path, and make your steps great. He will hold you accountable to do good and love others at all times. He will listen and know your heart....even better than you know yourself. If you ask Him, He will guide you to find other earthly friends who will be part of your inner circle. 

I have found a friend in Jesus, He's everything to me. He's the fairest of ten thousand to my soul. The Lily of the valley, in Him alone I see, all I need to cleanse and make me fully whole. In sorrow He's my comfort, in trouble, he's my stay. He tells me every care on him to roll. He's the Lily of the Valley, the Bright and Morning Star, He's the fairest of ten thousand to my soul.  - Charles Fry (1881)

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Dear God, thank you for friends. Thank you for blessing me with an earthly inner circle, who I know is there in thick and thin, and will always love me no matter how far I fall, or how high I fly. Thank you for sending Jesus, who is my constant companion, and is with me at all times, watching over me, and loving me as His inner circle of friends as well. Thank you for the support I have been shown by my friends just in the first day of publishing these devotions, and please continue to help me reach out to many others in their times of need. Please bless us all, and help us to build a strong inner circle, always including you. In the name of Jesus    - Amen