This spoke to me in a powerful way today.  As we move through this life, we all have different degrees of struggle, pain, uncertainty, and discomfort.  Now it can become very easy to compare our situations to those of others around us making our “challenges or opportunities” appear harder to deal with than theirs.  I say opportunities because we should see every challenge as a way to bring glory to the Father due to His faithfulness to us.

 “Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance.  And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.  But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him.”  James 1:2-5 NAS

The truth is, what might seem very difficult to us may not be very difficult to someone else.  We all have “things” that we are dealing with.  What’s important to remember though, is that what suffering is to one man may not be suffering at all to another; which brings me to why these verses spoke to me today.

As we face the many different things that come our way throughout the days we have here on this earth, are we living them out as a person that is “…the called and chosen and faithful.” (Rev.17:14 NAS)? It is clear what the Word of God says before the names listed for us – called, chosen, faithful – in order for us to have those names we must be with Him.  “…those who are with Him are the called and chosen and faithful.” Rev. 17:14 NAS.  Why are we with Him?  We are with Christ due to the remarkably, undeniable call of God Almighty Himself through His Holy Spirit.

 “It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing; the words that I have spoken to you are spirit and are life. But there are some of you who do not believe.” For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were who did not believe, and who it was that would betray Him.  And He was saying, ‘For this reason I have said to you, that no one can come to Me unless it has been granted him from the Father.’”  John 6:63-65 NAS.

If we hear the Holy Spirit of God Almighty knocking at our heart and answer, then there will be a change.  There will be a difference in the life that has been given to us.  There will be a transformation in who we are, and it will be due to the power of God Himself that has entered into our heart and is taking over who we are.  The continuation of this progressive change in us will come due to our faithfulness to the call we heard from His Spirit and the overwhelming understanding of the Maker and Creator of all that we know and see, and don’t know and don’t see yet.  It is due to the love and adoration, gratefulness and gratitude for the love expressed to us by the Father that we follow Him and are faithful to Him. Our love is shown to Him by our faithfulness to His call.

How do we stand?  How do we grow? How do we remain faithful when the “challenges or opportunities” come? I think a great place to start is to read 2 Peter 1:2-11.  As you read these verses, ask yourself these questions.  What is God calling me to do?  Where do I need to improve?  What do I need to surrender?  Are my desires impure?  Where is my spirit unprotected?  Where am I unguarded? How is my worship?  Be encouraged in the last three verses: verse 9 – Vision, verse 10 – Verification, verse 11 – Victory.  With all of these things standing firm in the strength through resilience that is given to each one of us by our loving Heavenly Father.

 “And they overcame him because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their testimony, and they did not love their life even when faced with death.” Revelation 12:11 NAS

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