James 1:12 “Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love Him.”
We’ve all seen and heard them! You know the guys I mean! They sit around talking big about what they’re going to do some day….but somehow some day never comes. When King David was a teen ager, herding the family’s sheep and goats, he was the least impressive of his entire family! All of David’s brothers were tall, good – looking, and well – muscled. God sent the prophet Samuel to David’s family, telling him to anoint one of Jesse’s sons to be the next king of Israel. Naturally, Samuel looked at all of David’s brothers and figured one of them must be God’s choice. But God had other ideas. ”… the LORD said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or height, for I have rejected him; the LORD does not see as man does. For man sees the outward appearance, but the LORD sees the heart.” (1 Samuel 16:7) While David’s brothers had been sitting around the house, David had been out fighting lions and bears to protect the family’s sheep. And it was David whom God chose to be king over Israel.
Sometimes we feel that when bad things happen to us, either we must have done something wrong or else God is angry with us. But neither one of those things might be the case. Life presents challenges for everyone. Here James is telling us that we should not worry about the things we suffer but we should continue to be faithful. It is not so much a matter of what kind of start we make as it is how we continue and how we remain focused, no matter what.
When we came to the village of Saboba in northeastern Ghana in January 1993, there was a small health center with eleven workers. There was no theater (OR). There was no laboratory. There was no electricity. There was no running water. We had a small pharmacy and one consulting room. I was a fully – trained general surgeon with no OR. When we had been in Saboba for a year, the Northern Ethnic Conflict of 1994 broke out. We had to begin operations and laboratory services in the middle of chaos. But God was faithful to help us. From that small beginning, we now have a 112 – bed district hospital with three doctors and a staff of more than 200.
I am not telling this story to boast at all. There were many times when we were tempted to despair and only the needs of the people drove us onward. But God was faithful. And this is the message of hope that James 1:12 gives all of us.
If God has called you to do a work, God will help you. The work may be very difficult. You may find yourself with your back to the wall. You may find your health breaking down at times. You may find that the very people you are trying to help fail to understand and hurl cruel criticisms. But the important thing is to make sure that you are truly following the Lord. Hudson Taylor was the Founder of the China Inland Mission. When Taylor began his work in China, his original sending agency failed him and he finally had to resign. But from that humble beginning, CIM grew so that at one point there were more than 1500 missionaries in various parts of China. During the Boxer Rebellion in the early 20th century, many CIM missionaries were martyred; yet, their fellow missionaries persevered. The work started by CIM was so well grounded that when the Communists overran China, they could not destroy it. One of Taylor’s favorite sayings was this: “God’s work, done God’s way, will never lack God’s supply.”
Today, what work has God called you to do? Do you feel inadequate? GREAT! That means that you won’t act presumptiously! If you feel totally sufficient for the situation, watch out! That is the very time when you are most likely to make a costly mistake. Far better to realize that it is only by the grace of God that you are able to work each day, that you MUST depend on God for your strength, your inspiration, for everything you need to do the work. But remember that one day there will be a reward – the crown of life. Is the struggle difficult? You bet! Is it worth it? Eternity wil give you the answer.
PRAYER: Father God, thank you for loving us and for calling us to be your hands and feet to a hurting world. Lord, help us to always depend on you and not to trust our own intuition, our own insight, our own knowledge, our own training. We thank you that you give wisdom freely if we will only ask. Help us to persevere and to continue to follow hard after you all the days of our lives. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.
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