Thurs.’s Devo - Patience!

Read James 1:1-4

I was trying to figure out where God wanted us to go next when I fell on James. James is always a timely book because we are always either about to go into a trial, or are in the midst of it or we are coming out of one. So lets look at this together. James wrote this to the twelve tribes that were scattered abroad. That is a good description of the body of Christ. We are scattered all over the world. James says to be joyful when you find yourself in a trial. That goes against our ideas of what the abundant Christian life is suppose to look like but life is a process of learning and growing. In school we learn information, then we have a test. We will soon forget that information unless we use it in everyday life. God’s lessons are like that. We learn great wisdom from reading his word, or listening to a great sermon, then we have to take the test (the trial). To make it stick we have to be put in a situation where we have to use that information. James says that trials are to produce patience. I can see that that is true. I don’t get upset like I use to when things go wrong. I can actually laugh at some trials because I recognize them and know why they are here. They say never pray for patience because you will get reasons to have to be patient but I can tell you by much experience… you will get the trials anyway because it is ALL to bring about patience in our lives.

Why is patience so important? Patience is the foundation to the Christian life. If you learn patience you have learned to wait on God for his timing. It takes patience to bring forth fruit (Luke 29:19). Patience helps us win souls (Luke 21:19). Through patience we have hope (Rom. 15:4) and inherit the promises (Heb. 6:12). Revelation 14:12 says, “Here is the patience of the saints, they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.”

Lord, we all want patience, NOW! but I know that patience comes slowly over time. Help us to joy in our trials knowing that when we pass them we get promoted to the next level, which means our trials will get bigger! Hallelujah! Truthfully, I am grateful that you walk with us and desire that we grow stronger so you can use us in greater capacities. Help us not to be wimps but courageous in You.