Little Messages with Big Impact
Have you ever tried building muscle without going through a workout? It doesn’t work. The only way strength is formed is through resistance-pushing through the strain, stretching your limits, and choosing not to quit. James tells us that the same principle applies to our faith. Trials are not random interruptions to your peace; they’re part of God’s training regimen to build perseverance in you.
Joy and trials. Those two words don’t seem like they belong in the same sentence, do they? Trials are hard. They stretch us, break us, and often leave us wondering why. And yet, James opens his letter with this shocking encouragement: consider it pure joy when-not if-you face trials. Not because the pain itself is enjoyable, but because there is something deeper happening behind the scenes.
If you were writing a letter to thousands of people, how would you introduce yourself? Well, i know exactly how i will do it. I would reach for my most impressive credentials: “CEO of XYZ,” “Doctor,” “Reverend,” “Pastor,” or “Founder of…” But not James. This man, who was not only the leader of the church in Jerusalem but also the half-brother of Jesus, opens his letter with one simple description: a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ.
A few days back, we were examining the desire of Samson for a Philistine wife, and we were able to conclude that God was using that desire as a means of conquering the Philistine. The problem now is that Samson became consumed by his lust and gave in to Delilah. He forgot the purposes of God, and yielded on the bed of a strange woman. This is what immorality can do to a man, making him forget his purpose and consecration and becoming a victim of the enemy. This is why we need to be cautious not to fall into this situation like Samson. We must not forget God’s purposes and the consecrations we are supposed to live by.
Yesterday, we looked at how God’s Spirit backs up those who move in the purposes of God for their lives, like we saw with Samson. He did the impossible because God was with him, and we see that it is important that we walk according to the purposes of God for our lives. But, as Samson went about being filled with the Spirit of God and defeating the Philistines, at one point in chapter fifteen, he had killed a thousand men with a donkey’s jawbone. Now, he was tired and thirsty. What did he do?
Yesterday, we saw how God occasioned a feeling in Samson, which was to lead him to the fulfillment of God’s purposes for him. He was drawn towards Philistine women, but the goal was that God was trying to occasion an avenue to defeat the Philistines, it was not about Samson marrying them. Samson had drawn his parents to follow him to Timnah to marry a woman he had seen, and this created an avenue for Samson to do the impossible.
Four days ago we began looking at the parents of Samson, and how he came to be. We saw yesterday that they responded to the news of the birth of Samson by worshipping God, even when they had not seen any manifestation yet, but only because of the Word of God. Samson has been born, and in chapter 14 we see how his life begins to play out.
Yesterday, we saw the importance of asking God for direction, leading and help in the things He has handed over to us. We saw this example from Manoah, a man of faith, who sought God for direction and instructions on how to handle the promise of God to his family. After Manoah prayed this prayer, we see in verse 9, that God heard him and sent the angel to his wife again. This time, she went and called her husband to see him and hear from him.
For the last two days we have seen through Judges chapter 13 we see the interesting story of how the angel of the Lord visited the wife of a man named Manoah, a Danite. He informed her about a child she was going to give birth to, making her conceive even in her state of barrenness. This child was going to be a Nazirite, and yesterday we concluded that just like this child, God was us to live a life of consecration. God is always ready to use people of consecration.
Yesterday, we saw how it is the purpose of God for us that we are fruitful. Fruitfulness is not a ‘maybe’ for us as believers, it is a ‘constant’ because that is what we are made to do on earth. That the world is influenced by our fruits and God is glorified through us. However, there is one required factor for truly living a fruitful life, and that is Consecration.