Endure!

Endure!

“Blessed (happy, to be envied) is the man who is patient under trial and stands up under temptation, for when he has stood the test and been approved, he will receive [the victor's] crown of life which God has promised to those who love Him.” James 1:12 AMPC

The way God deals with His own differs from person to person, but one truth that we can all hold on to is the fact that there is an earthly and an eternal dimension to whatever God allows. James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, was writing to the twelve tribes scattered abroad among the Gentiles. How had this happened? How did God's people find themselves in strange lands, even though they were Christians? Who says God calls us to earthly comfort alone, with no view of eternity? He will make us relevant here on earth, but He will also preserve us for eternity. This is the full package of the call of God on a man's life. Am I His own? Is He my God?

For all who are called by God, know that trials and tough times are built into the fabric of our development and growth. It is by resistance that the skill of a captain is proven. It is by pressure that the skill of a sportsman is proven. How do I claim I can endure if there has never been anything that can test that statement? The natural man finds the path of least resistance; the spiritual man craves the pressure, because he knows that this is God's way of preparing His own for the heights ahead. God does not push us out to face the tough times on our own; like the pharmacist that He is, everything is calibrated to bring out the best in us, so that we can be whole at the end.

That is why the verse above calls all who submit to God's process 'blessed'. Only God speaks this way. Jesus went to the cross, and now He has obtained eternal life for all who come to Him. In the same way, for all who endure the tough times, there is an eternal reward in view. If the promise is a crown of life, this tells me that nothing escapes the attention of the One who will reward accordingly. He is not a God who can be deceived; He knows my heart, and He can determine its sincerity. Seek God's approval, not man's validation. He is the One who can help us stand. Submit to His process; earn His life. God's time of favour is here.