“Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking in anything.” James 1:4
It is not our nature to enjoy pain. Both physical and emotional pain can be unbearable at times, so I have heard but thankfully never really experienced. Sometimes I try to put myself into the shoes of someone else, because there is no way to know what the next hour, day, or year has in store for us. I think about families in Haiti and what it must be like to lose parents, children and friends in the blink of an eye. The world we live in can change instantly. Some of you might be in the midst of trials right now. On the outside you may look fine, but deep down there is pain and suffering.
In Galatians, Paul says that someday we will “reap, if we do not give up (Galatians 6:9).” It is encouraging to know that we will be rewarded for our genuine obedience. The trials that we face, both big and small, will only last a short time. In 1 Peter 1:6-7 it says, “for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the genuineness of your faith… may be found.” When we are faced with trials, our faith is what we fall back on. If anyone is going through a trial, I pray that joy in the Lord will carry them through. If now is not a time of trial, than let us search our hearts for what we have put our faith in. The question is not whether we will be tested, but rather is our faith rooted in a God strong enough to persevere and carry us when we are tested.
- Matt Simmonds
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