By Jennifer Cristofaro.
James 1:12 says, “Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him.”
The Israelites had seen the Lord deliver them from slavery at the hand of the Pharaoh, they had watched as He had parted the red sea. They had seen Him rain bread down from Heaven. They had watched as God provided for their every need.
So have we.
We have seen him deliver us from our fears, heal our bodies, change our desires to match His will, restore relationships, break addictions, and the list goes on! So why do we waiver in our faith? Why do we allow ourselves to be led by our emotions and circumstances instead of the truth of God’s word?
When the Israelites were on the brink of their promised land, they only saw the giants – they were focused on the negative. Instead of pressing forward in faith, they wanted to return to a life of slavery. But Joshua and Caleb were different. They were steadfast. They had bold faith. They were ready to take the land. The Lord said, “But my servant Caleb, because he has a different spirit and has followed me fully, I will bring into the land into which he went, and his descendants shall possess it.
We are all on our journey out of bondage to freedom, headed to our promised land. God is calling us to keep moving forward. To be steadfast in our faith. To live wholly devoted to Him.
Jesus clearly tells us that following Him is not easy. He tells us to rejoice in our trials because they are producing perseverance. They are changing our hearts, opening our eyes, and growing our faith and dependance on Him. We have the choice to be like Caleb and Joshua, to choose to have a different spirit about us, to choose to embrace the trials and worship God through them. To choose faith over fear, love over hate, forgiveness over resentment, humility over pride. We can choose to walk in the Spirit and not in the flesh. We can choose Jesus moment-by-moment. Our promised land awaits. Let’s take the land!
I believe that God wants to take us into a new place, a new season, but His word has to take root in our lives. We have to stand firm and not be shaken by emotions, fear, or doubt. We need to throw off passivity and complacency and run towards our creator, thirsty for Him alone.
– Where do you believe that God is leading you?
– What is stopping you from following Him in faith?
– Are you walking through a time of trial? Is it testing your faith and growing you spiritually?
Jennifer is a Realtor and serves Grace Hills Church in a variety of capacities including outreach, missions, kids, and womens ministry. Jennifer and her husband, Phil, have two precious daughters and live in Rogers.