HIPI: THE GLORY DEVOTIONAL
James 1:2-4 – Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.
When things are rough, when they’re not going the way you had hoped, when you feel your prayers aren’t being answered, when the trials of life seem too much to bear, when the battle seems too long, when your faith is under attack, when you’re feeling weary and you aren’t sure you can endure much longer, you can cling onto the foundation provided for your faith—the many promises contained in God’s Word—and rest in that safe haven.
One such promise is that “you can pray for anything, and if you believe that you’ve received it, it will be yours” —but God doesn’t promise that it will be yours instantly. His timetable is not always the same as ours. There are times when He does bring instant answers to prayer, but there are also many times when He allows time for our faith to mature and develop, like fine wine.
Patience is not an easy virtue to cultivate. In fact, it goes entirely against the way the world today operates, which is all about getting quick results. We can experience instant miracles and answers to prayer when God knows that’s what’s best, but sometimes He may want us to experience the tests, trials, and challenges of life that arise when His answers don’t come immediately.
Faith isn’t manifested only in our ability to receive immediate, miraculous answers to prayer; it is also manifested in endurance, longsuffering, and the patience to hold on even when we don’t see immediate results from our prayers. So “let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.”
PRAYER:
Faithful God, thank you for your promises that never fail. You remain faithful even when I am unfaithful. I pray for the grace to patiently wait for Your timing and not to faint no matter how tough the battle maybe. May I remain steadfast so I would be made perfect and complete, lacking nothing. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
inspired Grisele 