JOHN SHIRK – In the Year to Shine, today’s Vital Step to a Radiant Faith is to worship God in our trials.
It has been said that “trials are not enemies of faith, but are opportunities to prove God’s faithfulness.”
God can work through our testing of our faith to build our faith to bolder places.
It happened in Acts 16, where Paul and Silas were in jail. About midnight, they were singing hymns to God. Other prisoners were listening to them. Then there was a violent earthquake that shook the foundations of the prison. Everyone’s chains came loose.
This event led to the conversion of the jailer, who asked Paul and Silas, “what must I do to be saved?” They said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved.” The jailer did believe and was filled with joy.
Worshiping God in our trials is a Vital Step to a Radiant Faith that makes a difference in our world.
John Shirk
john@wjtl.com
JOHN SHIRK – In the Year to Shine, today’s Vital Step to a Radiant Faith is to grow stronger through our trials.
In the book Trusting God, Jerry Bridges points out that a particular moth needs to struggle to free itself from its cocoon. Without the struggle, the moth would not survive very long beyond the cocoon.
The struggles we face in our Christian journey have a good purpose.
James 1:2 through 4 says, “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 be mature and complete, not lacking anything.”
We don’t have to get excited about the actual trials that we are facing, but we can remain joyful at what God is able to do in us as we experience testing of our faith.
Growing stronger through trials is a Vital Step to a Radiant Faith that makes a difference in our world.
John Shirk
john@wjtl.com
JOHN SHIRK – Today’s Good News Focus is on James 1, verses 2 through 4.
“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 be mature and complete, not lacking anything.”
Here we see that there is purpose to the trials of our lives. That purpose is to grow in godly character. We may not like the trial, but we can rejoice in the fruit that is produces after we endure the trial.
The strong wings of a butterfly are made through the struggle to get out of the cocoon. If the struggle did not happen, the butterfly would likely never fly. In a similar way, our trials give us the opportunity to grow stronger in our faith.
Jesus is our source of Good News, leading us to a place of godly character in the Year of Vision.
John Shirk
john@wjtl.com
JOHN SHIRK – Today’s Eye on Integrity is based on James 1, verses 2 to 4.
“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 be mature and complete, not lacking anything.”
It is not unusual to come out of a trial with a very different mindset than when we entered into a trial. Something happens in the midst of a trial that humbles us to recognize our dependence on Jesus.
Coming out of a trial, we can usually be more sympathetic to other people in similar circumstances, because we have been there.
We rarely seek trials before they happen, but after they happen, we can often look back on their value to our faith. James has wise advice for our trials-Persevere. Another way of saying that is “Don’t give up.”
Walking in perseverance and maturity are virtues to embrace for our lives in the Year of Integrity.
John Shirk
john@wjtl.com
JOHN SHIRK – Today, WJTL remembers the perseverance of Job.
James 5:11 says, “As you know, we consider blessed those who have persevered. You have heard of Job’s perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy.”
The story of Job is one of human tragedy and godly triumph. Here was a man who lost practically everything. Yet, he did not give up on God even though he suffered much pain without knowing why he was going down this road of human suffering.
One of his statements gives us insight into what God can do through our moments of hardship. Job said, “He knows the way that I take; when he has tested me, I will come forth as gold.”
Just as God took Job’s faith through the refinement process in the midst of his troubles, He can also use trials to purify us. First Peter 1:6 says, “In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith-of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire-may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.”
The perseverance of Job is a lesson of faith worth remembering.
John Shirk
john@wjtl.com
