DAY 198- BIG PICTURE IN A YEAR - THE WILDERNESS

by Gillian D'achada
..the testing of your faith produces endurance, and let endurance have its full effect, so that you may be mature and complete, lacking in nothing.
James 1: 3, 4


Reading:  James 1: 1-16

Christian maturity is a hard-won trophy. Salvation is a free gift of grace from God, but it costs plenty to become a mature, huios, son of God. Just ask Jesus. 

The question is: Do you want to remain a baby, a child, a teenager, in the Lord? Or do you want to ‘go on to maturity’ (Hebrews 6: 1) and thus become truly useful to Jesus? 

What will it take to become ‘mature and complete, lacking in nothing.’ You will endure the testing, trying, of your faith over and over again. What this means in plain language is: 

  1. God’s Word will come to you
  2. You will respond with joy and obey - initially
  3. All hell will break loose against that word
  4. You will falter, you will tremble, you will doubt
  5. You will make a choice – bail out, or go on believing

It’s a simple, 5-step formula that gets repeated, repeatedly, and yet, each time, it comes in such an unexpected way that you don’t recognize it - until you do. 


Faith in God – it’s the third foundation stone, the third foundational doctrine, teaching, of the apostles. What is it that gets tested? Your faith. Your faith in God. Your understanding of the character and nature of God. Your trust in Him. 


No-one said it’s easy to go through this. I certainly would never suggest that. This a dark world and walking by faith is..well, it’s virtually impossible..but for those in Christ, it can be done.

Prayer

I know you have to test my faith Lord – help me to respond well. 

For the family

Use this article to teach your kids more about faith in God

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