Daily Devotional
God Wants You to Endure
“But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.”
James 1:4
November 27, 2022
Ponder This
What is God’s plan for you? God wants you to be mature. You may think God’s plan for you is health and wealth. That’s not it. You may think God’s plan for you is service and usefulness. He does want that, but that’s not God’s plan for you. So then, what is God’s plan for you? The Bible tells us in Romans 8:28-29, “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.”
The word patience in James 1:4 is not the ability to thread a needle or build a model airplane; James used a Greek word that means “endurance.” You’ll never learn anything if you don’t learn patience. You won’t learn the piano or grow in that skill. You’re not going to learn Greek until you have enough patience to learn the verbs and you’re not going to learn to be a true child of God in true maturity until you learn patience. The only way you can learn endurance or patience to move toward maturity is by having something to endure.
- What are some plans you thought God had for you that turned out differently than you expected?
- What value have you seen in endurance in your own life?
Practice This
Think about some of the difficult things that have happened in your life that have built endurance in your faith. Spend some time praising God for the different ways your relationship with Him has grown through these difficulties.
FOR YOUR GIFT TO THE MINISTRY
What is the mission of the Church?
Love Worth Finding's newest book, "A Final Charge to the Church, "is based on the final series of messages Pastor Rogers preached before retiring in 2005. Pastor Rogers wanted to prepare his congregation for the future. In doing so, he provided a biblically sound blueprint that applies to all Christians on topics including unity among believers, standing strong in opposition to the enemy (Satan), the power of the Holy Spirit to change lives, steadfastness in prayer, true worship, faithfulness to God's Word, caring for others, and the kingdom authority given to believers in Jesus Christ. The book is a great read for all believers who want to become better prepared, as the bride of Christ, to be radiant, pure, and faithful to Jesus, the living Word of God.
