Text: “But the brother of humble circumstances is to glory in his high position; and the rich man is to glory in his humiliation, because like flowering grass he will pass away. For the sun rises with a scorching wind and withers the grass; and its flower falls off and the beauty of its appearance is destroyed; so too the rich man in the midst of his pursuits will fade away. Blessed is a man who perseveres under trial; for once he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.” (James 1:9-12) [NASB]
Open:
What one thing in your life have you done that you would say was very profitable?
Explore:
God’s intentions for His tests are good. Some of the hardest questions you and I will ever have to answer is “Why do bad things happen to good people?” and “Why do good things happen to bad people?” Don’t think that we’re the first ones to ask this question. We know that even David asked that question. In Psalm 73:3-5 [NLT] he wrote, “For I envied the proud when I saw them prosper despite their wickedness. They seem to live such painless lives; their bodies are so healthy and strong. They don’t have troubles like other people; they’re not plagued with problems like everyone else.” Even Jeremiah wrestled with this. In Jeremiah 12:1 he wrote, “Lord, you always give me justice when I bring a case before you. So let me bring you this complaint: Why are the wicked so prosperous? Why are evil people so happy?” So, don’t be so arrogant to think you are the first one to come up with that question.
Have you ever found yourself wondering what's the answer? Jesus’ answer to us is the same that He gave to His disciples when they walked past a man who was born blind. John 9:1-3 says, “As Jesus was walking along, he saw a man who had been blind from birth. “Rabbi,” his disciples asked him, “why was this man born blind? Was it because of his own sins or his parents’ sins?” “It was not because of his sins or his parents’ sins,” Jesus answered. “This happened so the power of God could be seen in him.” Jesus told them that this man had been blind from the time of his birth for a reason. He had to endure the tests of a physical handicap and the stresses it brings his entire life for one reason―to glorify God. God intended good for the tests, stress and trials of that man’s life. Just like He intends good for all the tests, stress and trials of your life.
So, understanding that God’s intentions for His tests are good, James sets out to tell us a little bit about the nature of God’s testing. He shows us the pattern for God’s testing in James 1:9-11. Sometimes God tests by exalting the humble. We don’t normally think of that as testing do we? But it’s the first one test James lists here in (v. 9). God can test us with poverty as well as prosperity. Amen, let me get in line for the test of prosperity. That’s the one I want to volunteer for. Is it really? You can define prosperity a lot of different ways, but the one that comes to mind first is by money―big money. Here is a story of as woman who was exalted. Evelyn Adams won the New Jersey lottery―not just once, but twice, in 1985 and 1986. She went from average middle-class to multi-millionaire overnight. Now she’s in debt up to her eyeballs and lives in a trailer. This story is an example of God testing the humble by exalting them. But money is just one way God tests the humble. Have you ever seen someone get promoted and overnight change the way they treat people? Or see someone move into the “gated community” and act differently? How do you react to the blessings God gives you? When you’re given the test of prosperity? God can test you with prosperity. He can exalt the humble in order to test them. But He can also humble the exalted look at James 1:10-11. This is the kind of test we won’t volunteer to get in line for. This is the kind of test that we see as a tragedy or a trial. When someone loses a house. When they lose their job. When they lose a child. It’s the kind of test that people respond to by shaking their fist at God. They say things like, “God, how could you let this happen.” How do you react when these high stress tragedies strike? When you’re given the test of humility? God can exalt the humble and He can humble the exalted. That is His pattern for testing.
I said that His intention for testing and stress is good and profitable. So if His intention for testing is good and profitable, then He must have a goal in mind and for a reason. God’s good intention for testing is found in (v. 12). God doesn’t test you with prosperity in order to trip you up and make you fail. He intends for you to pass the test of prosperity successfully. If He tests you with prosperity, He intends for you to be a good steward of what He gives you. He wants you to reject ill-gotten gain. He means for you to use all other gain according to His will and purpose. But remember, God doesn’t test you with humility just to be mean, add more stress and make you fail. He intends for you to pass the test of humility with flying colors. If He tests you with humility, He intends for you to look to Him in faith. He intends you to look to Him in contentment like Paul did. He intends for you to show His strength through the weakness of your humility. Whether God tests you through prosperity or through humility, His intention is the same. He intends for you to pass the test. And when you pass it, like (v. 12) says, you are truly blessed. You’re blessed with an eternal reward and a present reward. Your eternal reward is the crown of life. Your present reward is the hope of God’s promise. The security that comes from knowing you’re in the will of God. That you’re pleasing Him with your obedience. If you don't have security and are living a constant stress filled life maybe you have not trusted Christ with it. Stress and lack of security comes from one of two things. It can be that you’re not really saved. Or it can be that you’re not living like it by passing the tests God places before you. Either way, you need to take care of that today. Trust in Jesus as your Lord and Savior or if He is your Savior, begin to treat Him like your Lord. Pass the tests He places before you. That’s what He wants you to do. Stress and trials can be profitable!
But what happens so often is, when we’re given a tough test, what do we do? We want to blame God and shake our fist at Him accusing Him of being mean or unfair. But why do we do that? We do that because we’ve failed the test He’s placed before us. And when we’ve failed the test, we’ve done exactly what our enemy the devil wants us to do and we've missed out, we have failed to profit from the stress we're going through.
Get it: Read: Psalm 73:3-5 and Jeremiah 12:1 Have you ever found yourself wondering what the answer is? How do you react to the blessings God gives you?
When someone loses a house, loses their job, or loses a child, that’s the kind of test where people respond by shaking their fist at God. They say things like, “How could you let this happen, God?” How would you react if these “high stress” tragedies were to strike you? How do you respond when you’re given the test of humility?
Apply: What test/stress are you facing right now that God could be using to profit you?
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