Thought for September 30, 2023

•  1520: Suleiman the Magnificent becomes Ottoman Sultan
• 1659: Peter Stuyvesant prohibits tennis during religious services--first mention of tennis in the US
• 1846: Anesthetic ether used for the first time--a tooth extraction
• 1946: 22 Nazi leaders found guilty of war crimes at Nuremberg
• 1950: First television broadcast of the Grand Ole Opry
• 1960: "The Flintstones" premiers
• Born: Buddy Rich, Truman Capote, Martina Hingis,
• Died: George Whitefield, James Dean, 

Thought: Back at home, but tired and body clock out of sync. 

Back in the first chapter of James this morning reading 1:2-8. Yesterday we were told to consider it all joy when we encounter various trials. I mentioned that we can consider trials all joy because we know God has a purpose in them. Verse three tells us that we consider trials all joy because we know that testing or proving our faith produces endurance. So in facing trials we understand that our faith is tested and when we are faithful, we build endurance. When I face a trial, sometimes my inclination is to fear or doubt. My tendency is to compromise or give in. But when I trust in the sufficiency, power, and plan of God in faith, I grow in faith and build endurance. This prepares me for the next trial.

I keep looking at the word "know," since the verse says we know that the testing of my faith builds endurance. A couple of thoughts come to mind. First, this does not say that I feel like trials lead to endurance. It says I know they do. I know it not because I feel it, but because God has promised me that it will. I  must exercise faith in His plan and purpose--I know Him so I know that what His word says is true even though I'm not feeling it right now. Second, the word "know" takes me back to Paul writing in Romans 8:28--I know that all things work together for good for those who are called according to His purpose. Again, in the middle of trials it is hard to know that things are working out for good. But I know that they are because God has promised. 

This leads me to ask, what is endurance? The ability to sustain a long, painful effort. Years ago, I read a book titled "Endurance" about Ernest Shackleton and his voyage to Antartica. He procured a ship for his voyage that was named Polaris, but Shackleton changed the name to Endurance. He and 27 men undertook a voyage to Antartica but the ship was caught in the ice and ultimately crushed and sank. He led his men across the ice dragging life boats. Then they set sail in 3 small life boats and arrived at Elephant Island after sailing and rowing for 7 days in open water filled with ice floes. Then Shackleton and 6 men sailed a 22 foot life boat over 800 miles to South Georgia Island. Finally, Shackleton and two of the men made the first crossing of the interior of the island to reach the base at Stromness. All of his men were rescued. But the adventure had required the ultimate endurance. Thinking about that expedition and my life, I must conclude that I am really not familiar with endurance. Perhaps because rather than faithfully enduring trials I have compromised, conformed, got along. 

Today, I am asking the Lord to allow me the joy of various trials knowing that faithfully facing those trials will build endurance. 

Blessings

Larry