“Respond with Faith”
By Dianne Prince
“Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds.” …Because “the testing of your faith produces perseverance” (James 1:2-3. NIV).
When difficulty arises, we have two choices: we can respond by trusting God, or we can worry about the outcome. Trust is the response of a person operating in faith, while worry is the response of a person gripped with fear. Faith says, “Lord, I trust you.” Fear says, “Lord, I don’t believe you have the power to fix my problem.”
Sticking with trials to the end produces “staying power” in us. The only way to learn endurance is to face situations that require it. The only way to build faith is to be put in a position that demands we exercise it.
So often, we give up when God is on the verge of a breakthrough. We surrender just when God is about to perform a miracle, just when a prayer is about to be answered.
Realize today that trials often appear contrary to God’s promises. An illness may seem incurable, a stack of bills insurmountable, a relationship irreparable, and the death of a loved one hopeless. Yet, these are all opportunities to build faith.
The thought for you today is this: instead of resisting hardship, put forth your best effort to work through it with God’s help. Dig in and keep praying for the desired outcome. Flow with where the hardship takes you and resolve to tough it out. In the process, God will either change your situation or change you. By enduring to the end, your faith grows, your moral fiber is strengthened, and you will see firsthand what God can and will do.
