It is only a faithful person who truly believes that God sovereignly controls his circumstances. We take our circumstances for granted, saying God is in control, but not really believing it. We act as if the things that happen were completely controlled by people. To be faithful in every circumstance means that we have only one loyalty, or object of our faith— the Lord Jesus Christ. God may cause our circumstances to suddenly fall apart, which may bring the realization of our unfaithfulness to Him for not recognizing that He had ordained the situation. We never saw what He was trying to accomplish, and that exact event will never be repeated in our life. This is where the test of our faithfulness comes. If we will just learn to worship God even during the difficult circumstances, He will change them for the better very quickly if He so chooses.Being faithful to Jesus Christ is the most difficult thing we try to do today. We will be faithful to our work, to serving others, or to anything else; just don’t ask us to be faithful to Jesus Christ. Many Christians become very impatient when we talk about faithfulness to Jesus. Our Lord is dethroned more deliberately by Christian workers than by the world. We treat God as if He were a machine designed only to bless us, and we think of Jesus as just another one of the workers.

The goal of faithfulness is not that we will do work for God, but that He will be free to do His work through us. God calls us to His service and places tremendous responsibilities on us. He expects no complaining on our part and offers no explanation on His part. God wants to use us as He used His own Son.

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December 18 2014

Journal Entry for Today-JDV

God, the first thought that comes to mind when I think of being tested is my inability to “keep the faith”. And I ask myself why in the world would You test me in the first place, when you already know my inability to stand against formidable challenges? I say and do the wrong things more often than I say and do the right things. When I read a devotional about how you test us Lord, I feel confused, because you already know that I will fail tests of faith; that I am frightened of pink slips, a dwindling bank account, and difficult diagnosis and prognoses. You already know that I want to avoid  pain and the difficulties of life. Why would you want to test and exposé me for the failure that I am?

And God says…”Of course you fail tests of faith.  Every man does.  Look at Elijah, Moses, David, Peter,  Paul and others. I do not test so that I can see your strength and faithfulness; I test you so that you can see your need of a Savior…in all areas of your life. Left to your own devices you will choose the easy path, the one without trials and difficult circumstances. Left to your own devices, you will not choose the difficult paths, and as a result you will not grow in your faith. And to be grown in your faith does not mean that you will one day be able to handle more and more difficult circumstances, on your own, it means you will grow to the point of surrendering the circumstances to Me at your very earliest opportunity. Seek first the Kingdom of God, and I will provide everything else you need. Acknowledge Me in all your ways, and I will make your paths straight.  Delight yourself in the Lord, and I will give you the desires of your heart.  Remind yourself of the many times I have interceded on your behalf, or of the times that your worst fears did not come true….remind yourself of how I go before you, and that I do not test you to determine your weakness or strength, I test you so that you will grow to the point of looking and finding strength in your surrenders to Jesus.”

” And as you recall your growth and strength that has come from your surrenders to Me…….as the song says…Just say Amen.”