Nashville, Tennessee, United States - The Upper Room Daily Devotional "All about Perspective" for Tuesday, 21 October 2014 - Read James 1:1-8

Nashville, Tennessee, United States - The Upper Room Daily Devotional "All about Perspective" for Tuesday, 21 October 2014 - Read James 1: Faith Under Pressure
2-4 Consider it a sheer gift, friends, when tests and challenges come at you from all sides. You know that under pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colors. So don’t try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do its work so you become mature and well-developed, not deficient in any way.
5-8 If you don’t know what you’re doing, pray to the Father. He loves to help. You’ll get his help, and won’t be condescended to when you ask for it. Ask boldly, believingly, without a second thought. People who “worry their prayers” are like wind-whipped waves. Don’t think you’re going to get anything from the Master that way, adrift at sea, keeping all your options open.
Paul wrote, “I’m not saying this because I need anything, for I have learned how to be content in any circumstance.”(Philippians 4:11 (CEB))
I fly cross-country a lot. Sometimes I admire the majesty of snow-capped mountains, the vast expanse of lush farmland, and gorgeous sunrises and sunsets. Other times I focus on the fact that I am squished in the middle seat between two large men and am embarrassed by nearly falling asleep on a stranger. What is the difference between these two situations? Nothing, really. It’s the same plane and the same view. The difference lies in my perspective.
Flying reminds me that we have to let God shape our perspective during the difficult times of life. James teaches us that through our trials we can develop a deeper relationship with God. But if we focus merely on trying to escape the pain of our trials, we might miss God’s blessings.
When I fly, I can choose to focus on the beautiful views or on my cramped seating arrangement. Similarly, the way we handle trials determines how much we experience God’s triumphant grace in our lives. God told Paul, “My grace is sufficient for you: for my power is made perfect in weakness.”And Paul chose to “boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me” (2 Cor. 12:9, NIV). When we choose to focus on God’s grace, we can draw nearer to God.
The Author: Samuel Winchester (South Carolina)
Thought for the Day: The trials we endure can bring us closer to God.
Prayer: Gracious God, help us to view our trials as times when you are trying to teach us more about yourself. Amen.
Prayer focus: Frequent flyers
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