Day 11 - blessed is the man

James 1:12 - "Blessed is the man who endures trials. For once he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life, which the Lord has promised to those who love Him."

This is the verse under meditation today (extreme faith workout - www.gbcwestlake.org)
There are several verses that deal with one aspect of this particular verse in James: the crown of life. A start to studying this is to look up some verses and see what they say. Here is my part:

I Corinthians 9:25 - "Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable." - The perishable wreath, was a reward for the athlete, in their games, to receive once they won and stood above the rest. The imperishable wreath, or crown, would be the crown of life, which is eternal, never passing away, given to those who finish the race well.

I Thessalonians 2:19,20 - "For what is our hope or joy or crown of boasting before our Lord Jesus at his coming? Is it not you? For you are our glory and joy." - The Apostle Paul talks about the eternal perspective of what is truly important. The crown he speaks of is the eternal souls and spiritual growth of the people he is writing to. Their growth and decision to follow Christ is his crown."

II Timothy 4:8 - "Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on the Day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing." - The crown of righteousness also gives the eternal perspective. We are not striving for rewards here, but for what is given when this life is over. The goal is to be able to say what Paul did in the previous verse (7): "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, i have kept the faith."

I Peter 5:4 - "And when the chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory." - This was written to elders, exhorting them to follow God's example as a good shepherd, having the right attitude and leading the sheep. If they did, they may not receive many rewards in this life; but they would when they see the Good Shepherd in Heaven. That is motivation for being faithful now.

Revelation 2:10 - "Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and for ten days you will have tribulation. Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life." - For those who would suffer for their faith, even to the point of death, Jesus wants them to think of eternity, and the promise of life, abundant life, true life, life with Him, when this short, trial filled life on Earth is over.

Day 10 - what I am learning

It is a good exercise, to meditate on, and then to write out scriptures in your own words. It helps you to really think about what it is saying and how to communicate it to others. In my own words:

James 1:9-11 - If you are struggling financially, you can rejoice as a believer who is in a high position before God. If you are doing well financially, you can rejoice in trials that God uses to make you humble and sensitive to others needs. Because the person who trusts in his wealth will be soon gone and all he has built up will be gone. It comes and then disappears quickly. Don't pursue wealth. Regardless of your trials, pursue endurance; for at then end of these trials, at the end of this short life, is eternal life and rewards with God!

What have I learned through recent trials I have gone through?
1. Trusting in man is futile. Only God can be trusted
2. The important thing is not having some type of personal victory over others, but victory over sin, and growing spiritually through a trial
3. There is always, always, a reason to praise God and give Him glory!

Day 9 - 3 thoughts on James

One of the challenges for today (extreme faith workout - www.gbcwestlake.org)
was to read the book of James in one sitting and then to write down 3 thoughts that come to mind. So here are mine:

1. If we want to say that we are truly following Christ, then we will be sensitive to the true physical needs of others and use our resoureces to meet those needs (1:27; 2:14-17)

2. True wisdom is not found in how much someone knows, but in how they act on that knowledge (3:15-18)

3.Every fight and argument I have with someone can be traced back to my own selfish heart. Below the surface of the issue that I am so upset about is the real heart issue: my own (4:1-6)

Day 8 - value of wisdom

James 1:5 - "If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all men generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him."

In connection with my trials, I have to have wisdom from God in order to endure through them. It is a blessing to know that God is willing and ready to give it to me, without condemnation, in abundance, if I will just ask. I don't know how to handle trials in my own strength. I must have God's wisdom to navigate them.

Proverbs 2:1-17 is all about the pursuit of wisdom and its benefits. The motivation for pursuing wisdom includes: seeing it as though you are searching for hidden treasure. The same effort we would give for finding gold or silver in our backyard should be matched and even greater, to find the wisdom from God; if we seek for it, it will help us understand God to a greater degree; and put us in a better position to receive all that God has promised.

The benefits for having wisdom include: the knowledge of God being sweeter; a better understanding of justice and what it means to be righteous; the protection of God; guidance through life; deliverance from the consequences of wickedness.

May I have the heart to pursue God's wisdom in this way!

Day 7 - summary of trials

This is the 2nd week of the extreme faith workout (www.gbcwestlake.org)
One of the assignments, today, was to look at two different passages of Scripture that deal with trials, and then summarize each of them in 30 words or less. This helps me to think through the passages, and then write briefly, including the main points. This is how these struck me:

James 1:1-12
Trials will come, to test my faith; and if I will endure, asking God for wisdom, I will grow spiritually, receiving eternal rewards. Therefore, I can rejoice in my suffering.

I Peter 1:3-9
God gets all the glory for my eternal life. The suffering I go through is to make me what He wants me to be and to bring Him the glory.

Day 6 - a commitment statement

I know it is dangerous to "swear" something, even according to James - to promise to do something, as it relates to God, and then to not follow through with it. It is better not to make such a promise in the first place. So, with this commitment statement, that is included in the extreme faith workout for applying the book of James (www.gbcwestlake.org), it is important to be communicated as a desire, trying to pursue it with God's help. Here is my statement:

It is my desire to approach trials in a godly and biblical way. When something difficult happens in my life (and this includes even "smaller" things), I first need to evaluate my heart and ask God if "there is any unconfessed sin", for which I am under discipline. After that, I need to apply the truths in the book of James. This is my commitment:

I will work hard to see my trials in a joyful way, because I know that God has allow them to make me more like His Son. I will not try to "handle them" in my own power, but I will cry out to God and ask for His wisdom, so that I can "remain under" (endure) through the trials. I will not make it my highest priority to get out of the pain, but to grow in Christ through the pain.

Day 5 - in my own words

One of the challenges for today (extreme faith workout - www.gbcwestlake.org) is to write out James 1:1-4 in my own words. This is a great exercise for thinking through a passage of Scripture, but it is not necessarily easy, as you can't just copy the words of the text. It also includes meditating on the passage, so that you are thinking about what it means. My version:

James 1:1-4
I am James, Jesus' brother, serving Him and serving God our Father; writing to Jewish Christians scattered through the Roman Empire - HI!

When you go through difficult trials (and you will), which come in all shapes and sizes (and degrees of pain), be joyful.

Be joyful because of the fact that your faith is being tested, and that can produce endurance.

Then, you must remain under your difficult circumstances, in order to get the best results: a more full and complete faith, even spiritual maturity.