Maranatha!!!

James 1:2 My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations.

Trials and tribulations are not considered a positive experience in life. In fact, we dread ever having to go through them. Leave it to the Lord to teach us that we should not look at our trials through negative eyes but to count it all joy! You’re kidding, right? There is no joy in sinning for the believer. Therefore, the word temptation in this verse does not mean temptation to sin but a “trying” – a trial – adversity.

peirasmos
pi-ras-mos’
From Strong’s G3985; a putting to proof (by experiment [of good], experience [of evil], solicitation, discipline or provocation); by implication adversity: – temptation, X try.

Why should we count it joy, though? James answers this question a few verses later saying that these same trials will give us patience. If we are patient and we do not give up, our trials will turn into blessings. God will teach us something with every trial. Whether the trial was for our own personal benefit or for the benefit of another, there is a blessing to be had!

James teaches us to look at our trials at the git go as an opportunity to witness an upcoming blessing. Rather than be fearful of the trial its outcome, be thankful – be at peace – be joyful in your heart knowing that the King of Kings has your back. Your Shepherd is on the job, keeping you. Once your thoughts are off the circumstances about you, you can now share that peace and that joy with those who are watching you as you go through your trial. People are watching, you know. Your children are watching – your relatives are watching – your friends are watching – your co-workers are watching! You may not realize it but the way you conduct yourself, spiritually, will clearly define your faith in your God.

This is important for two reasons. The unsaved do not want to believe in a God that cannot prove Himself in someone’s life. In other words, how can your God help me if you are falling apart at the seams during your financial crisis? The second reason is that our trials help other believers to grow – we are a living testament of God’s abilities. If a young believer is watching you as you go through a severe trial and he sees you falling apart, he is not learning to run to God in all things. Instead, the babe in Christ is learning to run to his friends and family before running to God. He does not have the opportunity to witness God’s mighty hand in your life.

What a testimony it can be to all who are around us when we radiate peace and joy in our hearts! This same peace and joy brings with it gracious words, praises to the Almighty and the believer glorifies God in his actions!

What kind of living testament are you of the Living God to those around you?

~John 16:13-14 Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come. He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you.

When I hear people say that they don’t read the Bible because they need someone to interpret it for them, I am reminded of today’s verses. Why would God leave His words in a book if He did not intend for us to read it and understand it? It absolutely makes no sense!

As we instruct our children, so does God. We would not give our children misinformation nor would we keep them in the dark about what our wishes are for them. God is the perfect Father and has provided His own Spirit to live within the born-again believer. My friend, if you open the Word of God and it is dry as day-old bread, then something is wrong. If you don’t understand even the Gospels, then something is wrong.

Notice what happened in the account of the eunuch:

~Acts 8:30-31 And Philip ran thither to him, and heard him read the prophet Esaias, and said, Understandest thou what thou readest? And he said, How can I, except some man should guide me? And he desired Philip that he would come up and sit with him.

~Act 8:35-38 Then Philip opened his mouth, and began at the same scripture, and preached unto him Jesus. And as they went on their way, they came unto a certain water: and the eunuch said, See, here is water; what doth hinder me to be baptized? And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. And he commanded the chariot to stand still: and they went down both into the water, both Philip and the eunuch; and he baptized him.

The eunuch knew that as an unbeliever he needed someone to interpret the Scriptures for him. So what did Philip do? He preached Jesus Christ to the eunuch! As a result, the eunuch was gloriously saved! He no longer needed someone to guide him. He now was able to interpret the Word of God himself.

When we question what is going on around us, let’s remember to turn to the Word of God first so that we may hear from His “mouth” what He wants us to learn. The Holy Spirit’s ministry is to teach us the truth – not some man’s opinion or interpretation. I have been approached by some who tell me that when I personally read the Bible, I am interpreting the Bible in my own way and not the way God intended. That is their support for depending on another for interpretation. Again, today’s verses prove those skeptics wrong.

First of all, God carefully chose His words when He called the Holy Spirit the Spirit of Truth. As God’s born-again child, how can I read His words and interpret wrong? Granted there will be verses that I do not understand just yet but in due season, He will reveal to me their meaning. But on the most part, I can open the Bible and read and understand what God intended because I possess the Spirit of Truth!

Furthermore, the Holy Spirit will guide me into all truth and will show to me what I do not understand. James penned it beautifully:

~James 1:5 If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.

Before you go to someone for guidance, turn to God’s Word. It is the ultimate guide!

~Numbers 11:1a And when the people complained, it displeased the Lord: and the Lord heard it; …

Complaining is a serious matter. Sometimes we do it so flippantly that we do not realize that it is a slap in God’s face when we do so. No matter how bleak our situation, there is something to be thankful for in our lives.

When our eyes get off the Lord and we stop being grateful for what we have, we give way to the lust of the flesh.

~Numbers 11:4-6 And the mixt multitude that was among them fell a lusting: and the children of Israel also wept again, and said, Who shall give us flesh to eat? We remember the fish, which we did eat in Egypt freely; the cucumbers, and the melons, and the leeks, and the onions, and the garlick: But now our soul is dried away: there is nothing at all, beside this manna, before our eyes.

Notice that the people fell to the lust of the flesh and began desiring for what they use to have despite the horrible fact that they were in captivity? That speaks volumes! They didn’t care if their lives were hard as long as their flesh was satisfied! They would rather have the things of the world than the perfect will of God. Their eyes were focused on earthly goods rather than God’s will.

What do we clutch on to in our lives that prevent us from doing God’s will? Is it known sin? Is it earthly possessions? It is a loved one? Nothing is more important than doing God’s will. Once we do His will, all other things fall into place. He promises to provide for us and take care of us. What more can we ask for?

~Deuteronomy 31:6 Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the LORD thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.”

Have you ever been in a situation where you prayed a similar prayer?

Lord, there’s a storm brewing and I can’t see through it to know how it’s going to come out. But Father, I know that You are with me and I know that You can calm those storms with just a word. I pray, Father, that You would guide me and help me to be a good testimony to those around me so they can see that You are with me!”

Just know, dear Christian, we do not go through the storms of life by ourselves. God has given us His Word – He has given us family and friends – He has given us the Holy Spirit who is within us and revealing God’s Word to us as He speaks to us. We are not alone! Ole slew foot, the devil, can stir up the storms all he wants. But we know that the Creator Himself is there with us and will not abandon us.

So what does the Lord tell us to do during these storms? He says to be strong, of good courage and not to fear! Our God, the One and only, has made a promise to us that He will not forsake us. So much so, that He has told us more than just this once in His Word:

~Deuteronomy 4:31 (For the LORD thy God is a merciful God;) he will not forsake thee, neither destroy thee, nor forget the covenant of thy fathers which he sware unto them.

~Deuteronomy 31:8 And the LORD, he it is that doth go before thee; he will be with thee, he will not fail thee, neither forsake thee: fear not, neither be dismayed.

~Joshua 1:5 There shall not any man be able to stand before thee all the days of thy life: as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee: I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.

~1 Chronicles 28:20 And David said to Solomon his son, Be strong and of good courage, and do it: fear not, nor be dismayed: for the LORD God, even my God, will be with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee, until thou hast finished all the work for the service of the house of the LORD.

~Hebrews 13:5 Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.

I don’t know about you, but God knows the frailty of man! In Bible numbers, man’s number is six. God placed this promise to His creation six times in His Word. Does this not encourage your spirit this morning? God cares for us and loves us so much that He has made a promise to us – He’s always with us and He will never forsake us!

Be encouraged today, my friend! Thank You, Father, for Your precious Word to encourage our hearts!

~Psalm 68:19 Blessed be the Lord, who daily loadeth us with benefits, even the God of our salvation. Selah.

One does not need to look far to see the blessings God gives to us every day! Making it a daily habit to recognize these blessings is a good place to start! Looking at nature is a good way to start. There is much of God’s blessings in His creation. He gives us something to look at on a daily basis which should cause our hearts to meditate on His Goodness.

Even though you are stricken with sickness or the storms of life, you are able to say that your Anchor, Jesus Christ, is steady! I found this quote from an unknown source and thought it was so appropriate!

“To realize the worth of the anchor we need to feel the storm.”

I think of our precious Saviour being our anchor. Can you picture this in your mind’s eye? The Lord has given us wonderful “pictures” to describe His character. He holds our salvation — He keeps us stable during the storms of life!

~Hebrews 6:19 Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast, and which entereth into that within the veil;

Our Anchor is both sure and stedfast! Noah Webster defines stedfast as:

1. Fast fixed; firm; firmly fixed or established; as the stedfast globe of earth.
2. Constant; firm; resolute; not fickle or wavering.

Our Saviour is our Anchor – it is up to Him to keep our salvation. This same Saviour can surely keep us through our storms!!

Therefore, the more storms you have been through, the more blessings you have to recognize in your life.  The storms reveal our Anchor and, as a result, creates a grateful heart!!

~Ephesians 2:13 But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.

Do you truly want to be close to God in this new year? First of all, there is only one way to be close to God and that is through His Son, Jesus Christ. Only Christ’s shed blood on the cross forgives us of our sins. The Old Testament saints looked “forward” to the cross and knew that their Messiah would redeem them. They knew that their own works would not draw them any close to God. They looked forward to a better hope!

We, on the other hand, look “back” to the cross and know that nothing we do or say will bring us salvation, let alone draw us closer to God.

~Hebrews 7:19 For the law made nothing perfect, but the bringing in of a better hope did; by the which we draw nigh unto God.

Our hope is in Christ Jesus! He is the only way to a close relationship with the Heavenly Father. People claim to have this relationship – but do they really? What, exactly, is involved in their relationship? Is it their good works? Is it the money they tithe? These things are good but they don’t earn us an audience with God. The only thing that will get us closer to God is His Son! Nothing more … nothing less … nothing else!

~James 4:8 Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.

Cleansing and purifying our hearts can only be done by Jesus Christ’s blood. And thus, this devotional leads back to the first verse! Draw nigh to God and He will draw nigh to you!

~Psalm 98:6-8 With trumpets and sound of cornet make a joyful noise before the LORD, the King. Let the sea roar, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein. Let the floods clap their hands: let the hills be joyful together.

When you’re having one of those days where nothing seems to go right, make a joyful noise before the Lord! We all have something to be thankful for, don’t we? If it’s not your health, do you have a roof over your head? If you’re reading this, you have computer access – which means chances are you have enough money to pay for an internet connection. Do you see where I am going with this? Find something to praise God about and make it a habit to do so each and every day! It won’t be long before your heart is encouraged by the Lord Himself!!

~Matthew 6:30 Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?

What do you concentrate on when you are by yourself? Do you worry about the stock market? Do you think about how much month will be left at the end of your paycheck? Do you worry about the sickness you have and how you will make it one more day? Whatever it is that you think about when you are alone, will more than likely tell you what kind of lifestyle you are living.

Our lifestyle usually reflects what is in our hearts. What kind of lifestyle do people see you living? Does your faith in Christ reflect in your daily walk? Yes, faith is definitely a lifestyle. When the storms of life appear, do people witness you fretting or witness you resting in the Father’s care? Or do you “inwardly” run around in circles and wonder if anyone out there cares?

~Matthew 14:31 And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?

We are a child of the King, oh Christian! Our Heavenly Father has us in the palm of His hand. He is quite aware of what we are going through and He never sleeps. He will catch us when we fall – He will help us when we need it – He will carry us when we can’t press on even one more step!

~John 16:33 These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.

~Acts 14:22 Confirming the souls of the disciples, and exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God.

~Romans 5:3 And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience;

~2 Corinthians 1:4 Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.

The Christian life was not promised to be a bed of roses or a cake walk. Quite the contrary, actually! We are warned that as believers we will most certainly go through trials and tribulations in life. But Christ does not leave us abandoned with no hope and no help, amen?!   He gives us Scriptures to encourage ourselves so we do not fall into despair.

I love how He uses nature itself to speak to us. I heard a message by Pastor Mike Ray of Hopewell Baptist Church using salmon as an example. In summary, he stated that it takes no effort for a dead salmon to float downstream. However, it takes great effort for a salmon to swim upstream. It’s a constant battle. Pastor Ray compared going downstream as going the way of the world. This takes no effort at all. But for the believer who wants to walk with Christ, it takes great effort. Our walk will be difficult.  Just do research on what a salmon goes through to swim upstream.  It will bless your soul as you compare it to your walk with the Lord.

I love the picture used today. The world’s bears are waiting for us as we separate ourselves from the things of the world. But we are not alone. The Lord promises us that He is with us every step of the way!

~Romans 8:35-39 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Paul tells us that he’s persuaded that nothing separates the believer from Christ’s love. Nothing! Glory to God in the highest! We are conquerors, my friend. Not by anything we do in our flesh – but by everything that Jesus Christ does through us! So whatever your cross is which you are called to bear, do it joyfully and with great peace in your heart knowing that the Lord is there! No one else can carry your cross for you. It is yours to carry. Use your life experiences and lessons learned from the Word to help another! Keep your mind fixed on what is coming soon – life with the Lord in Heaven for all eternity.  Our trials and tribulations will soon be behind us!  It makes our journey seem shorter, doesn’t it?

Let’s encourage each other in these last days! Let’s be busy doing the Lord’s work and leading the lost to Him using our life experiences that He has blessed us with. These things alone will keep our thoughts away from our trials.

~Psalm 8:9 O LORD our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth!

~Psalm 29:4 The voice of the LORD is powerful; the voice of the LORD is full of majesty.

~Psalm 104:1 Bless the LORD, O my soul. O LORD my God, thou art very great; thou art clothed with honour and majesty.

~Psalm 148:13 Let them praise the name of the LORD: for his name alone is excellent; his glory is above the earth and heaven.

~Psalm 150:2 Praise him for his mighty acts: praise him according to his excellent greatness.

Is it any wonder why the Book of Psalms is such an encouraging book for the Christian? Its pages are filled with glorious descriptions of God. His character is revealed through each verse! This blessed Book prepares our hearts for the day’s challenges.

After reading verses such as these this morning, it causes me to praise my Lord and Saviour for all He has done for me! I did a phrase search in my Bible software for the words “praise him” and found that the only time these two words were found together in the King James Bible were in the Book of Psalms. There are 18 accounts of this phrase and I thought I would share them this morning so you would be able to praise HIM along with me!

~Psalm 22:23 Ye that fear the LORD, praise him; all ye the seed of Jacob, glorify him; and fear him, all ye the seed of Israel.

~Psalm 28:7 The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in him, and I am helped: therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth; and with my song will I praise him.

~Psalm 42:5 Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted in me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him for the help of his countenance.

~Psalm 42:11 Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God.

~Psalm 43:5 Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? hope in God: for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God.

~Psalm 69:34 Let the heaven and earth praise him, the seas, and every thing that moveth therein.

~Psalm 107:32 Let them exalt him also in the congregation of the people, and praise him in the assembly of the elders.

~Psalm 109:30 I will greatly praise the LORD with my mouth; yea, I will praise him among the multitude.

~Psalm 117:1 O praise the LORD, all ye nations: praise him, all ye people.

~Psalm 135:1 Praise ye the LORD. Praise ye the name of the LORD; praise him, O ye servants of the LORD.

~Psalm 148:1 Praise ye the LORD. Praise ye the LORD from the heavens: praise him in the heights.

~Psalm 148:3 Praise ye him, sun and moon: praise him, all ye stars of light.

~Psalm 148:4 Praise him, ye heavens of heavens, and ye waters that be above the heavens.

~Psalm 150:1 Praise ye the LORD. Praise God in his sanctuary: praise him in the firmament of his power.

~Psalm 150:2 Praise him for his mighty acts: praise him according to his excellent greatness.

~Psalm 150:3 Praise him with the sound of the trumpet: praise him with the psaltery and harp.

~Psalm 150:4 Praise him with the timbrel and dance: praise him with stringed instruments and organs.

~Psalm 150:5 Praise him upon the loud cymbals: praise him upon the high sounding cymbals.

Thank You, my Blessed Redeemer, for all that You did and continue to do for us! We praise Your Holy Name today and lift You above all. May our actions and words reflect this. It does not surprise me, then, to see these beautiful words penned by Fanny Crosby:

Praise Him! Praise Him!

Praise Him! Praise Him! Jesus, our blessèd Redeemer!
Sing, O Earth, His wonderful love proclaim!
Hail Him! hail Him! highest archangels in glory;
Strength and honor give to His holy Name!
Like a shepherd, Jesus will guard His children,
In His arms He carries them all day long:

Refrain

Praise Him! Praise Him!
Tell of His excellent greatness.
Praise Him! Praise Him!
Ever in joyful song!

Praise Him! Praise Him! Jesus, our blessèd Redeemer!
For our sins He suffered, and bled, and died.
He our Rock, our hope of eternal salvation,
Hail Him! hail Him! Jesus the Crucified.
Sound His praises! Jesus who bore our sorrows,
Love unbounded, wonderful, deep and strong.

Refrain

Praise Him! Praise Him! Jesus, our blessèd Redeemer!
Heav’nly portals loud with hosannas ring!
Jesus, Savior, reigneth forever and ever.
Crown Him! Crown Him! Prophet, and Priest, and King!
Christ is coming! over the world victorious,
Pow’r and glory unto the Lord belong.

Refrain