Call to Worship In
this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been
grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more
precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to
result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. 1Peter 1:6-7
Contemplation Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet
trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces
steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be
perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. James 1:2-4
We are reminded that suffering is not a setback to
our agendas, but rather an orientation to God’s agenda, which is to form the
character of Christ in us.
The Listening Prayer question for today was, “How
does your desire for Comfort over Character play out in your life?”
And what it does is suck Joy out of my heart, and
fill me with a Spirit of Murmuring. And I can almost picture a Gollum-like
creature clinging to my neck, muttering and clucking under its breath as I
tromp through the day. Ugly.
But there are some bright yellow daffodils sitting
on the corner of my desk. A good praying friend showed up on my doorstep a few
days ago with this reminder of God’s faithfulness and beauty. Because I know
something about daffodils, or jonquils, from my years in Tennessee. They are
the first things to push their little green heads up through the hard frozen
soil as the early rays of spring sunshine begin the thaw.
And there is not a shadow of doubt that this clump
of middle school students is God’s agenda for me. And I for them.
Knowing
how to interpret events and actions is a large part of wisdom, and the faithful
attitude of the Christian is one of joy. - Dan McCartney
Dear LORD God, You promise Your wisdom to whomever
asks, and so I ask, with all humility, in that I may rejoice.
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