There are many blessings in the Bible and some are difficult to understand, the strangest may be the blessing in trial.
"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." James 1:12, NIV
BLESSING
"Blessing" seems to mean happy and there are many examples where the two words are interchanged in the Bible and in literature.
SUFFERING
Suffering itself is not a blessing, it is the one who perseveres under trials and testing who is blessed. To persevere is to not give up, it is to persist determinedly over a period of time in defiance of difficulties.
TEST
We think of a test as being something done to discover; such as a school exam where we measure our knowledge of the subject being taught. God already knows everything; His purposes in our testings are not to discover but other things such as teaching us through the test- often patience or trust. A test can be applied to prove or demonstrate what is already known. The classic example is Job where God already knew Job’s devotion and faithfulness and allowed trials in his life to demonstrate it to Satin.
PURPOSE
It is clear that God has many purposes for us in our trials and like Job we may not get the answer in this life but here we see a revelation of one of God's purposes in our trials. God will give a reward to those who endure trials- a crown. A crown has always been a symbol of merit, wealth, status, heritage, rule, and many more things. We do not have the slightest idea what this crown will be but considering the One who is giving it this reward will be FANTASTIC!
CONDITIONAL
There is a condition for the crown, it is the condition that we must love God. This verse puts the crown of life, perseverance under trial, and love of God together; this shows one of God’s purposes in our trials. Trials are an opportunity to demonstrate love for God in a powerful way one which alone merits the reward of a crown.
LOVE
Never will you show you love God better than being faithful to Him when you are going through a trial. Let us all resolve to persevere during these trials we face today and prove to those who are watching what is the depth and firmness of our love of God.
If you want to know more about having God in your life see my other blog.
"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." James 1:12, NIV
BLESSING
"Blessing" seems to mean happy and there are many examples where the two words are interchanged in the Bible and in literature.
SUFFERING
Suffering itself is not a blessing, it is the one who perseveres under trials and testing who is blessed. To persevere is to not give up, it is to persist determinedly over a period of time in defiance of difficulties.
TEST
We think of a test as being something done to discover; such as a school exam where we measure our knowledge of the subject being taught. God already knows everything; His purposes in our testings are not to discover but other things such as teaching us through the test- often patience or trust. A test can be applied to prove or demonstrate what is already known. The classic example is Job where God already knew Job’s devotion and faithfulness and allowed trials in his life to demonstrate it to Satin.
PURPOSE
It is clear that God has many purposes for us in our trials and like Job we may not get the answer in this life but here we see a revelation of one of God's purposes in our trials. God will give a reward to those who endure trials- a crown. A crown has always been a symbol of merit, wealth, status, heritage, rule, and many more things. We do not have the slightest idea what this crown will be but considering the One who is giving it this reward will be FANTASTIC!
CONDITIONAL
There is a condition for the crown, it is the condition that we must love God. This verse puts the crown of life, perseverance under trial, and love of God together; this shows one of God’s purposes in our trials. Trials are an opportunity to demonstrate love for God in a powerful way one which alone merits the reward of a crown.
LOVE
Never will you show you love God better than being faithful to Him when you are going through a trial. Let us all resolve to persevere during these trials we face today and prove to those who are watching what is the depth and firmness of our love of God.
If you want to know more about having God in your life see my other blog.
(c)Adron Dozat
