Today’s scripture: James 1:2-4 – The Message (MSG)
Faith Under Pressure
2-4 Consider it a sheer gift, friends, when tests and challenges come at you from all sides. You know that under pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colors. So don’t try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do its work so you become mature and well-developed, not deficient in any way.
My thoughts (David Zier):
When life is hard, or things get difficult, it can be so hard to see the light at the end of the tunnel. All we can see is the rough road ahead. When that tough time is in the rear view mirror, then we get it. We see the pain, but we see the growth.
“God, please help me remember the growth the next time I deal with a rough patch so I know what happens in the end.”
Time heals. But it is the repetitive nature of life’s events that can help us. And it is God who is always there with us, cheering us on. Jesus went through his difficult times. We seem to forget about his anxiety at the Garden of Gesthsemane asking God to take his cup away or on the cross asking why he had been forsaken. Do you ever want to call out to God like that?
Watch the video Grateful by Rita Ora. It is a lyric video, so follow along with the words. This is a good reminder that we can use the good times and the bad times to help us grow.
Prayer for the day: God, help me during my times of trial. Let it do its work in me so that I become mature and well-developed, not deficient in any way. Amen.
We encourage you to include a time of prayer with this reading. If you need a place to get started, consider the suggestions on the How to Pray page.