Ezekiel 35-36, James 1:1-18, Psalms 116:1-19, Proverbs 27:23-27
What God said to me – Have you ever heard someone say, “I’m never going to pray for patience again because when I do, all kinds of bad things happen”? Ironically, it’s a prayer I answer, but people don’t like My answer. In order to be patient and to grow in patience, you must be placed in patience-testing situations. It’s only as you learn to respond in patience that your patience grows. It’s like a person who wants to be toned and fit but never exercises. The weightlifter is constantly changing his weights in order to gain strength and endurance. Your sanctification and spiritual walk are like a marathon, and you need endurance so you can finish well. When you encounter various trials in your life – everything from minor irritations to difficult, intense trials and suffering – this testing of your faith produces the spiritual endurance you need. So, consider it all joy when you encounter various trials, knowing “I AM” at work in you for your own good and My glory. The joy is not in the trial, it is in the result that the trial is producing in you.