Faith With Endurance
By Jane Campbell
“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. But he must ask in faith without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind. For that man ought not to expect that he will receive anything from the Lord.”
- James 1:2-7 NASB
Looking positively at these ever changing days, it seems that God has removed our external busyness of life and set us in a place where we must reassess our priorities and focus on what is really important. It has heightened the need for making time for prayer and scripture study in order to maintain our sanity as we are bombarded by the chaos of a world of unknowns. Pondering the recent changes of life as we know it, one morning I felt led to read the book of James.
As I began in Chapter 1, to be quite honest, I wanted to stop with verse four, the encouragement of focusing on joy and the call to endure in trial resulting in completeness and perfection. Oh, how we long for the day that we will lack nothing and be complete and perfect in and with Him! But God pushed me farther into the verses… “Ask without doubting”... the conviction of that phrase caused me to reflect upon my own faith as we, as a nation, continue to face a crisis unlike any other we have experienced in most of our lifetimes. How we need wisdom in these days!
Moment by moment, we are being dragged along, tossed back and forth by waves of fear that threaten to cast us headlong into the rising waters … blown and battered by winds of the unknown, fear fanned by those who do not know where to turn for hope.
My thoughts soon turned to this verse in Hebrews, “But My righteous one shall live by faith;
And if he shrinks back, My soul has no pleasure in him. But we are not of those who shrink back to destruction, but of those who have faith to the preserving of the soul.” Hebrews 10:38-39 NASB
It is our faith that brings wisdom––faith in the One who spoke the world into being that has preserving power in times of crisis and even in everyday life––whenever we find “normal” again. Even the best medicine and most gifted and brilliant medical professionals cannot sustain us. God is the One who held us before time began and He is the One that holds our times in His hands. Every heartbeat and every breath is divinely appointed and will only end when our time here is complete, according to His plan, and He lovingly calls us home.
Although we all have momentary, and sometimes seasons, of slipping back into fear, questioning, and doubting, we are in good human company. Even the Apostle Peter had his fearful and doubting moments; but Christ, because of His great love, covered and redeemed them all, strengthening Peter’s faith and empowering his witness. Jesus will do the same for us if we let Him. Our faith honors Him whom we love, the One who gave Himself for us. Let us exercise our faith, and determine not to shrink back, praying that we may be so filled that we would pour out the love and hope of Jesus to those caught in the flood of fear and hopelessness … a world that desperately needs a Savior … only Jesus Christ the Righteous.
