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crown of life, discipline, epistle of James, faith, faithfulness of God, follower of Jesus, God's grace, James, Jesus, loss of a loved one, prayer for guidance, reward, silence, tested, tragedy, uncertainty of wealth
Day 7: The Blessing and the Reward
God will bless you,
if you don’t give up when your faith is being tested.
He will reward you with a glorious life,
just as he rewards everyone who loves him.
(James 1:12, CEV)
Reflection
Let’s face it. Life is tough. It’s a constant struggle, more so for some than others, but this truth remains: At various times, we will all face difficulties, grief, and loss.
For believers such hardships can come as a severe test that strikes at the very roots of our faith. The loss of a relationship, a spouse, or a child can snuff out our confidence and send our soaring faith crashing to the ground. We can quickly find ourselves asking, “Why God? You are all powerful. Why did you allow this tragedy—this mishap—this loss to happen?”
And what do we hear back when we ask these questions?
Silence. Often just silence.
Into the silence—into our despair—God’s word whispers, “God will bless you, if you don’t give up when your faith is being tested.”
When tragedy strikes, we can be tempted to give up on our faith in a loving, merciful God. At such times we should heed this advice from the writer of Hebrews:
Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as his children. For what children are not disciplined by their father? If you are not disciplined—and everyone undergoes discipline—then you are not legitimate, not true sons and daughters at all. (Hebrews 12:7-8, NIV)
Are you just a fair-weather follower of Jesus, or does he command your full allegiance? Are you a son or daughter of the Most High? If so, then you will endure hardship and come through triumphant just as James declares. He will reward you with a glorious life, just as he rewards everyone who loves him. (James 1:12b, CEV)
The Lord rewards our faithfulness to Him. The Greek words that James uses in the passage above signify crowning with a laurel wreath as was done for winners at the ancient Olympic games. Other translations refer to our reward as “the crown of life.” (See James 1:12, NIV.)
For now, and eternity there is unfading honor in running our race for Jesus.
Response
Lord God, when the way is hard give me the the strength to endure and press on. Bring me safely across the finish line. You are my shield and my very great reward (Genesis 15:1). I put my trust in your saving grace. I pray in the all-powerful name of Jesus. Amen.
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