Encouragement, Faith, Grace, Perseverence, Relationship to Christ, Strength, Struggles, Victory

Being Steadfast When Faced with a Wake-Up Call

Sometimes a wake-up call can come about through adversity and sometimes it comes as a reminder that we have replaced God with someone or something else. As a result, God can bring us face to face with ourselves in situations that might knock us off our feet.  Our Bible Journaling verse today says, “Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him.” (James 1:12 ESV)  These trials are designed to see how faithful we are in our walk with the Lord. 

A wake-up call can be very uncomfortable, even embarrassing, as the Lord reveals something to us that we need to address.  Have we put something or someone ahead of God in our lives?  Do we have some characteristic of our personality that is contrary to what God’s Word says we should display?  Both can make us stop and take stock of our lives, and we may find we don’t like what we see.  If we are being made aware of these things, then God wants us to address them. These test our faith, and we must be persistent and unwavering in our faith as we do the work to become what God wants us to become.

James 1: 2-18 deals with the testing of our faith, how we are to react to trials, and the purpose of those trials in our lives.  When we are working on addressing those tests and wake-up calls we get, James tells us to be steadfast.  In other words, stand firm in our faith through the struggles we face and address the issues.  As we become victorious over these things and remain faithful, we will receive the crown of life.  The crown of life is a reward that God will give to Believers who persevere through the trials of life and those things that are to develop our character and bring us into a closer relationship with Him.

In his commentary on the book of James, J. Vernon McGee says, “Testing will either drive you to the Lord or it will drive you away from Him. So many Christians become bitter. My friend, it is not going to be a pleasant experience to come someday into the presence of Christ if you have let the very thing your heavenly Father was using to develop your character and to bring you into a loving relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ make you bitter. We will have testings, but there is going to be a crown of life for those who persevere under trial.” There is a purpose, even when we may not understand it all. 

James tells us we are to “count it all joy” when we are faced with the trials and the things the Lord brings to our attention. (verse 2)  Now, that may not make sense, but when we realize the purpose behind the trials and the wake-up calls is to make us more like Jesus, then we can be joyful.  It may seem difficult, but the Apostle Paul encourages, “I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.” (Philippians 4:13 NASB 1995)  God never gives us anything so difficult that we can not gain victory over it.  He assures us that His grace is sufficient. (2 Corinthians 12:9) 

As we look at our lives and evaluate what God is bringing to our attention, we must be steadfast when faced with a wake-up call, without wavering in our faith, for then we will be rewarded when we come before Jesus one day.   

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Donna Knuth Rice

I am trying a blog for the first time in my life, and frankly, I feel like I don't have a clue as to what I'm doing! But, here goes. I work at a Christian Television network in the Correspondence Department, where I write letters and emails to our viewers, pray with them for their needs, and send materials they request. I am a Christian. I was saved at the age of 11 during a youth meeting at my church. My pastor led me to the Lord, and to say the least, my life has been an adventure. I am a widow. My late husband, Allen, passed away after 34 1/2 years of marriage. He had been sick the last seven years of his life, and it was a struggle, for him and for me. We met as part of a singing group that was affiliated with a Christian Radio station, and we sang together all through our lives together. We both worked in television and radio all through our married life, mostly for Christian stations. Besides singing I also play flute. I had the luxury of having parents who started out as music teachers...so music was in our house constantly. Some people describe me as being a loud-mouthed lime type...can't disagree with that. I have a tendency to put my foot in my mouth more times than I can count! I also have a tendency to say exactly what's on my mind...which is why I get myself in so much trouble! LOL! Trust me, that's something me and God have been working on for a very long time. I have no children here on earth, although I have a baby in heaven. My baby here is my dog Jack. He's a black lab/ chow mix. He's a big boy....thinks he's a lap dog! Can't think of much else to say. The reason I started this blog is because a few months ago in church, a guest pastor came and delivered a message, and when he asked for those of us who wanted prayer to come forward, I did. When he came to me he asked me if I did any journaling. I told him no 'cause I wasn't very good at it. He told me to start, and prophesied over me that my journal thoughts would impact other people. I wasn't sure just how I was to go about doing this. In fact, I was a little hesitant at first. I started journaling at home, and our assistant pastor's wife asked me to submit something for our Senior newsletter. I didn't the first edition, but something I had heard on Christian radio a long time ago and has stuck with me all these years, came to mind so I submitted an article. That article will be my first post. I don't claim to have all the answers, and my thoughts may seem a little "out there", but I feel God has been prodding me to do this, and so here I am. I hope what I post will bring encouragement, and "Something to Think About".

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