James 1:12

12 Blessed is the man (the person, the individual) who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him.

(Those that have developed a level of steadfastness, remain there and hopefully increase in character from that level. This is a truly excellent example of a Good Work emanating out from a genuine faith in Jesus).

Trials, difficulties, problems – they are all going to come:

• Some from the Lord as a test of character
• Some, self-induced, from our own bad decisions
• Some, self-induced, from our own flawed character
• Others, again self-induced, from our own incorrect attitudes
• Even more difficulties and trials, self-induced from our own wrong speech
• Some from incorrect expectations – our own and from others – this list just goes on…
• And let’s not forget satan attacks – the spiritual warfare that goes on around us. Often that’s at a minimum as we do a better job of upsetting ourselves and creating problems for ourselves through our own failings at learning and obeying God’s Word – we are more effective at attacking ourselves than the devil is.

Psalm 39:4-5

4 Lord, make me to know my end and [to appreciate] the measure of my days—what it is; let me know and realize how frail I am [how transient is my stay here].

5 Behold, You have made my days as [short as] handbreadths, and my lifetime is as nothing in Your sight. Truly every man at his best is merely a breath! Selah [pause, and think calmly of that]!

Hence again, the need to be truly conscious of where we fit in the Divine planning and processes that are unfolded everyday here on earth.

Again, this reiterates our need to develop correct perspectives that are scripture based, formulate those into correct priorities to live out, that are scripture based and convert all of that into effective good works, bringing value to others, from God’s perspective.

All of this will come with it’s fair share of problems and difficulties – face that fact. Life is hard, people are harder! However as we endure, are steadfast and persevere through the trials a reward is accumulating in heaven for us – not actually based only on WHAT we have achieved but HOW we have achieved – ultimately coming from our deep love for Jesus and our Heavenly Father as led and guided by the Holy Spirit.

Let’s remind ourselves of 2 Corinthians 5:10

10 For we must all appear and be revealed as we are before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive [his pay] (his reward – JA) according to what he has done in the body, whether good or evil [considering [a]what his purpose and motive have been, and what he has [b]achieved, been busy with, and given himself and his attention to accomplishing].

James 1:12 –12 Blessed is the man (the person, the individual) who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him.

Part of our reward is the crown of life to those who love God – remember Jesus added some clarification to this idea of Loving God/Loving Jesus that and said “if you love me, keep my commandments”- in short OBEY the Word of God.

13 Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one. 14 But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. 15 Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.

God, being unreservedly good does not tempt people with evil. We understand clearly that it was satan who tempted Jesus, not God. Matthew Chapter 4 this is laid out. Jesus defeated every one of those temptations with the Word of God, strategically used to overcome the devil.