James 1:12 - Blessed Are Those Who Persevere Under Temptation and Trials.
James 1:12: Blessed Are Those Who Persevere Under Temptation and
Trials.
James 1:12 (NKJV) Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for
when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which
the Lord has promised to those who love Him.
James 1:12 (NIV) Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial
because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of
life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.
James 1:12 (NIRV) Blessed is the man who keeps on going when
times are hard. After he has come through them, he will receive a
crown. The crown is life itself. God has promised it to those who love
him.
James 1:12 (CWR) Blessed is the man who endures the trials and
remains true to God. He will receive the crown of eternal life, which
the Lord has promised to all those who love Him.
WORD STUDY
Temptation. Gr. peirasmos, trial (see on v. 2), implying
anything that tries or tests faith or character. Peirasmos includes
afflictions such as sickness, poverty, or calamity, as well as direct
enticements to sin. This verse emphasizes the blessing that resides in
steadfast endurance, which keeps a man unscathed by his trials. [SDA Bible
Commentary]
Temptation. See v. 2. Here it could be both trials and
temptations.
Verse 2: trials. The same Greek word can be translated
trials or temptation. The context will determine its use. Here
trials are external afflictions rather than inner enticement to sin.
[Andrews SB]
COMMENTARY PEARL
My wife and I were driving down the interstate when we saw a
limousine pulled off on the shoulder with its hood up. The limo was
surrounded by men dressed in tuxes, which led us to believe the group was
headed to an important function. As we pulled over to offer assistance,
we noticed that the men were loading up in the back of an old
pickup, whose driver had also stopped to help. Riding in style was plan
A. but plan B was to get to their destination anyway they could.
In recovery [from sin], there are many days when things don't
go as planned. That shouldn't be a shock to anyone. But just like
the men piling into the old pickup, we can't let anything get in the
way of us getting to our destination. Healing and wholeness are too
important to miss.
There will always be inconveniences, breakdowns, and storms
that mess with our plans. We must be committed to doing whatever we
have to do to stay on track and become the men and women God created
us to be.
Father, thank you for helping me stay in the race, no matter
what inconveniences or difficulties come my way. Help me to remember
that my recovery [from sin] is too important to miss. In Jesus' name,
Amen. [Celebrate Recovery Daily Devotional by John & Johnny Baker]
COMMENTARY
This verse is a wonderful beatitude and promise for us to claim
in times of testing and trial. [Wiersbe Expository Outlines]
Most people do not welcome the hard lessons of life. "Why do
I have to learn this the hard way?" they fume. "Why couldn't I
have just been able to read a good book on the topic?"
James, no stranger to trials himself, urges readers to take
the most unexpected attitude when bad times descend. Although his
admonishment sounds strange at first, the outcome of doing so is spiritually
rewarding. As you read, consider what you are learning from your troubles.
Be glad when you have a bad day - the experience will do you
some good, James wrote (James 1:2-4). As uncomfortable as this
message is, James is not saying that we should enjoy trials. Rather, he
is saying that we should be glad for the good effects that trials
can have on us.
A bout of suffering, usually considered a curse, can be a
blessing. Suffering through trials teaches many things essential to life -
such as how to have patience and endurance. Living through a trial is
also the best way to build character.
When troubles come your way, welcome them as teachers,
however unpleasant they may be. Take advantage of your bad circumstances
by depending on God to get you through hard times. He will not only
take care of you, but he will also make you a better person through
it. [The One Year Through the Bible Devotional by Dave Veerman]
The experiences that come to the children of God are not by
accident (Rom. 8:28). We have a loving Heavenly Father who controls the
affairs of this world and who has a purpose behind each event.
Christians should expect trials to come; James does not say if but
when. What is Gods purpose in trials? It is the perfection of
Christian character in His children. He wants His children to be mature
(perfect), and maturity is developed only in the laboratory of life. Trials
can produce patience (see Rom. 5:3), which means endurance;
and endurance in turn leads the believer into deeper maturity in
Christ. God put young Joseph through thirteen years of testing that He
might make a king out of him. Peter spent three years in the school of
testing to be changed from sand to rock! Paul went through many
testings, and each one helped to mature his character. Of course, it takes
faith on the part of the Christian to trust God during testings, but
knowing that God has a divine purpose in mind helps us to yield to Him.
[Wiersbe Expository Outlines]
The Lord's thoughts are all working toward "an expected
end.".... God is working with a motive. All things are working together
for one object: the good of those who love God. We see only the
beginning; God sees the end from the beginning. He knows every letter of
the Book of Providence; He sees not only what He is doing, but what
will come of what He is doing.
As to our present pain and grief, God sees not these things
exclusively, but He sees the future joy and usefulness which will come of
them. He regards not only the tearing up of the soil with the plow,
but the clothing of that soil with the golden harvest. He sees the
after consequences of affliction, and He accounts those painful
incidents to be blessed which lead up to so much of happiness. Let us
comfort ourselves with this....
You have never seen the Great Artist's masterpiece; you have
seen the rough marble, you have marked the chippings that fall on the
ground; you have felt the edge of His chisel, you know the weight of His
hammer, and you are full of the memory of these things; but oh, could
you see that glorious image as it will be when He has put the
finishing stroke to it, you would then understand the chisel, and the
hammer, and the Worker better than you now do! [Charles Spurgeon; Time
with God devotional SB]
ILLUSTRATIONS
A man found a cocoon of a butterfly and one day a small opening
appeared. He sat and watched the butterfly for several hours as it
struggled to force its body through that little hole. Then it seemed to
stop making any progress. It appeared as if it had gotten as far as
it could and it could go no farther. The man decided to help the
butterfly, so he took a pair of scissors and snipped off the remaining tip
of the cocoon. The butterfly then emerged easily, but it had a
swollen body and small shriveled wings. The man continued to watch the
butterfly because he expected that, at any moment, the wings would enlarge
and expand to be able to support the body, which would contract in
time. Neither happened! In fact, the butterfly spent the rest of its
life crawling around with a swollen body and shriveled wings. It
never was able to fly. What the man in his kindness and haste did not
understand was that the restricting cocoon and the struggle required for
the butterfly to get through the tiny opening were God's way of
forcing fluid from the body of the butterfly into its wings so that it
would be ready for flight once it achieved its freedom from the
cocoon. Sometimes struggles are exactly what we need in our life. If God
allowed us to go through our life without any obstacles, it would
cripple us. We would not be as strong as what we could have been. And we
could never fly. brenda.jean.williams@us.pwcglobal.com
In the full light of day, and in hearing of the music of other
voices, the caged bird will not sing the song that this master seeks to
teach him. He learns a snatch of this, a trill of that, but never a
separate and entire melody. But the master covers the cage, and places
it where the bird will listen to the one song he is to sing. In
the dark, he tries and tries again to sing that song until it is
learned, and he breaks forth in perfect melody. Then the bird is brought
forth, and ever after he can sing that song in the light. Thus God
deals with His children. He has a song to teach us, and when we have
learned it amid the shadows of affliction, we can sing it ever
afterward. MH472
Oscar Wilde said, I can resist everything except
temptation.
When I go out to eat, I always say no to dessert. But when
the server asks if we want dessert, my wife will say, What do you
have? Then she tells me well have just one bite. And I remind
her thats what Eve said to Adam.
So when they bring out the dessert with more than one fork, I
know that if I take even a little taste, that is where the problem
begins. If I dont have a taste of it, then its a non-issue. But
the moment I taste it, its game over. Ive engaged. You know
how that goes.
Thats the problem with temptation. Its so tempting. The
devil knows how to package his wares. He knows how to make bad things
look good and how to make good things look bad. Thats why
temptation is so strong when it strikes. We feel the pressure.
The good news is that God, according to 1 Corinthians 10:13,
will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you
are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure
(NLT).
Weve all been tempted, not only by dessert but by serious
things - by sinful things. It might be a temptation to be lustful. A
temptation to be prideful. A temptation to be hateful. Whatever it is, what
a great thing when we pass the test, when we say no to it.
When youre saying no to temptation, it isnt easy, is
it? But then the blessing follows. If we want to be world-changers,
then we need to learn how to refuse certain things. We need to learn
how to say yes to God and how to say no to the devil. [By Greg
Laurie from Harvest Ministries; https://www.harvestdaily.com]
I heard one preacher say that the happiest woman he had ever
seen was a dying woman. She lay on her bed and clapped her hands at
the approach of death. Very many people came to look at her bright
countenance. They tell me this is death." she said "It's not death at all
- it's life." People were converted by her bedside, including her
son. A theologian by the name of W. Cosley Bell, when he sensed that
he was about to leave this world, sent these words to the staff of
the college where he was employed: Tell the young men that Ive
grown surer of God every year of my life, and Ive never been so
sure as I am right now. Why it's all so! It's a fact - a dead
certainty. Im so glad I haven't the least shadow of shrinking or
uncertainty. Ive been preaching and teaching these things all my life and
Im so interested to find that all we've been believing and hoping
is so." That is the way to die. One of John Wesley's proudest
claims for the early Methodists was this: "Our people die well."
Father the empty tomb of Jesus makes all our fears lies and
all our hopes truths. That empty tomb is the birthplace of eternal
Certainty. Because He lives I shall live also. I am eternally grateful.
Amen. [Every Day Light devotional with Selwyn Hughes re 2Ti. 4:8]
PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS
Let Me prepare you for the day that stretches out before you.
I know exactly what this day will contain, whereas you have only
vague ideas about it. You would like to see a map showing all the
twists and turns of your Journey. You'd feel more prepared if you could
somehow visualize what is on the road ahead. However, there is a better
way to be prepared for whatever you will encounter today: Spend
quality time with Me.
I will not show you what is on the road ahead, but I will
thoroughly equip you for the journey. My living Presence is your Companion
each step of the way. Stay in continual communication with Me,
whispering My Name whenever you need to redirect your thoughts. Thus, you
can walk through this day with your focus on Me. My abiding Presence
is the best road map available. (Exo. 33:14; John 15:4-7) [Jesus
Calling by Sarah Young]
As long as you focus on Me, you are safe. If you gaze too
long at the myriad problems around you, you will sink under the
weight of your burdens. When you start to sink, simply call out "Help
me, Jesus!" and I will lift you up.
The closer you live to Me, the safer you are. Circumstances
around you are undulating, and there are treacherous-looking waves in
the distance. Fix your eyes on Me, the One who never changes. By the
time those waves reach you, they will have shrunk to proportions of
My design. I am always beside you, helping you face today's waves.
The future is a phantom, seeking to spook you. Laugh at the future!
Stay close to Me. (Phi. 4:7; Mat. 14:30; Heb. 12:2) [Jesus Calling by
Sarah Young]
LINKS FOR FURTHER STUDY ON THIS TOPIC:
http://www.abible.com/devotions/2013/20131121-1340.html
http://www.abible.com/devotions/2012/20121129-1536.html
LINKS WORTH CHECKING OUT
Most Important Decision in Life:
http://www.youtube.com/embed/WGnEuGwvXqU?rel=0
A Man without Equal by Bill Bright:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NiVa7UoruIo [old, but one of the best]
Importance of Choice:
http://creationhealth.com/CREATION-Health/Choice [click on video]
Seeking God Made Real: http://vimeo.com/31489782
Prayer Made Real: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tc8VdMV26VE
Musical Devotional On Christian Living:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OcotY5K7T0c
Medical Seminar on Healthful Living by David DeRose, MD, MPH:
https://www.smartlifestyletv.com/lifestart
LINKS FOR BIBLE STUDIES
Lifting Up Jesus Bible Studies: http://www.liftingupjesus.net/
Amazing Facts Bible Studies:
http://www.amazingfacts.org/bible-study/bible-study-guides.aspx
Discover Bible Studies: http://studies.itiswritten.com/discover/
Glow Tract Video Bible Studies: http://www.bibleresearch.info/
ABible.com: http://www.aBible.com
LINKS FOR BIBLE PROPHECY SEMINARS
The Last Day of Prophecy by Pastor Doug Batchelor:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLmGvdtMCf1aJTiC59-lPtuUMEq_uEn0BK
Restoring The Power by John Bradshaw:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLRogO1SxoZN15Boa7BMon4BouVMdteVaq
Prophecies Decoded by Pastor Ron Clouzet:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL1A435C5373550657
Last Day Prophecy: His Other Sheep by Pastor Gerald Babanezhad:
https://vimeo.com/162267518
