INVITING TROUBLE?

MEMORISE: 'Knowing this, that the trying Of your faith worked patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye May be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.' (Jas 1:3-4
READ: Zechariah 113:9-10

'Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worked patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing' (Jas 1:3-4). In our reading, God says he will take his children through fire, so as to refine them like gold. Before God can truly use you, he has to prepare you to be a usable vessel. He says two thirds of his children are likely to die. It is the remaining one third that have to go through fire. All around us, you find Christians who speak in tongues and shout Hallelujah but are already dead and decaying. You have to decide where you belong.

If you want to belong to the chosen remnant, then you must be prepared for fire. Why the fire? Malachi 3: 1-3says if God take through the fire, you will be able to serve him in righteousness. Without passing through the fire, you will not be able to serve God for long or offer quality service. If you are not tried and tested by fire, the standard of your Christianity will soon nosedive when you are exposed to fellow Christians of other countries.

Some Christians who ask God to prosper them so that they can do his work will realize that if prosperity precedes the fire, they will forget about God and rely on their bank accounts. They will feel too big. Many times, Christians invite trouble for themselves. If you ask God to promote you, you are asking for trouble. If you ask God to prosper you abundantly, you are asking for big trouble.

God's blessings are original and lasting. The way God brings them about may be the exact opposite of your expectations. If you ask for promotion, be ready to go through demotion and other humbling experiences. That is the pathway to God's promotion. If you ask God to make you his treasurer, be ready to pass through the paths of poverty, lack and hunger. God will have to take you on these roads to teach and prepare you before arriving at your destination: prosperity. Now are you ready to be outstanding, prospered and promoted?

ACTION POINT
Pray for God's guidance in all your ways.
Ask him to keep those blessings that can destroy you away from you.