“Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.” James 1:12
“And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.” Romans 8:28
“However, as it is written: “What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived” — the things God has prepared for those who love him.” 1 Cor 2:9
Have you ever noticed the common denominator that is in these 3 amazing scriptures? It’s the need to love Him. These blessings are reserved for those who love God. If this is true then the question is, do we love Him and is it for every Christian?
If you look at the first verse in James 1:12, it’s a conditional promise reserved for those who persevere under trial. As far as I can see we don’t always pass this test and often pull out under pressure.
In the 2nd verse we can be confident that all of God’s dealings with His Children are engineered for their good. The trouble is if we are not listening to Him then we can have more troubles than we should. But praise God no matter what mess we end up in, He is always working it all out for our good. Sometimes we can end up repeatedly in the same trouble, but He is still our loving Heavenly Father willing to rescue us as we call out for help. This verse is a great comfort to us all when things happen that seem bad and out of control. We can always be confident that He will work out the mess for our good whether it is our fault or not.
In the 3rd verse we have a promise that is for all of God’s Children. We have never yet thought of some of the amazing things that are waiting for us up there in heaven. But I also believe that this verse applies for us down here on earth as well. As I look back over the years, I can see that some of what I am now experiencing was not on my radar back in the day. The word says that He would bless me if I believed and preserved, but I couldn’t imagine what that would be back then and its far above what I thought.
To get the greatest benefit from these 3 promises, we need to do our part and that is to love Him. The question is: “Does just being a Christian qualify us as those who love Him?” As I look around me today I see a lot of Christians in more trouble than they should be. God hasn’t forsaken any of His children, but the law of reaping what you sow has come back to bite them. They have sown their wild oats and are now reaping a harvest. We may say that we love God, but it’s often on our own terms.
The question is, “How can we love God?” “How can we love someone we can’t see?” “How can we love Him more than what we doing are right now?” My personal view is that our love for God is in direct relationship to our love for His word. Many of the messes we get ourselves into today could have been avoided if we had just obeyed what He says in His word.
If you want to love Him more then you need to love His word more. Matthew 6:21 says that where your treasure is, there will our heart be also. Your affections will always gravitate to that which you love the most. I’m afraid to say that this generation doesn’t love the word of God as we should and is getting into far more trouble than our Loving Heavenly Father would want us to be in. The bible for many is just and optional extra, and is far down the list of priorities in comparison with television, sport, social media and partying.
To give you an idea of what God’s wants from us, look at this verse.
“Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’” Matthew 4:4
From this verse we see that we are meant to be eating and drinking His word in order to survive. The medical world tells us that you can’t survive 3 days without water and 3 weeks without food, (as long as you also have water to drink.) We may understand this in the natural, yet be ignorant when it comes to our spiritual diet. For us to survive, we need to be eating and drinking God’s word regularity to live the abundant life, yet many are starving themselves to death. In a sense they have spiritual anorexia.
Loving God’s word is an essential part of our daily walk with Him and these 3 promises can’t be fully appreciated unless we meditate on His word day and night. Joshua 1:8. You may say that this was OK back in ‘bible days’ but I’m too busy to stop and read the bible today. It’s not relevant for the 21st century.
Again I point out, that where your treasure is there will your heart be also, and you will always find time to do the things you love and treasure. We organise our lives around the things we love the most.
I was once in the army and had just become a Christian. My life was not my own anymore. I had to find the time to pray and read God’s word if I wanted to survive spiritually. I learnt to take my small Gideon’s bible with me everywhere. I went into the toilet a little earlier in the morning so I could sit there for a while to read and pray. We always had ‘Smoke Breaks’ during drill and I would sit aside and read a few verses in the bible while others had their smokes. I had a ‘Holy Smoke Break’. Later in life, I had a very busy job in advertising and would write verses on a piece of paper that I had found in the bible and take them out of my pocket during the day and remind myself of His promises. Some lunch times I would go into the Catholic Church next to where I worked (even though I’m not a catholic) and sit there in the peace and quiet to read and pray. You will always find the time if you really want too. Have you ever noticed how you can always find the time to visit your sick child or loved one in hospital. You miss meals, television and sleep to be where your treasure is.
Its amazing how God notices these sacrifices and offerings we make for Him and soon creates more opportunities for us to express our love for Him.
A portion of scripture that comes to mind helps to illustrate my point. Both these woman mentioned here are Christians.
“As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!” “Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.” Luke 10:38-42
Here we have the story of 2 Christian sisters. Jesus had come to their house for a visit, so Martha was busy preparing a meal in the kitchen, while Mary sat at Jesus’ feet just enjoying the moment, soaking up His presence and listening to His words. Martha took offense to this and told Jesus to tell Mary to come and help her in the kitchen, but Jesus said that Mary had chosen the better thing.
How enlightening. Mary had discovered the worth of Jesus and wasn’t going to let this opportunity pass her by. They were both lovers of Jesus but Mary had something special. Jesus said there was only one thing worth being concerned about and Mary had discovered it. That was the treasure of His presence and of His words. Martha could have come and joined her too, sending out for fish and chips but she got all hot and bothered in the kitchen. Jesus wouldn’t have cared if they just listened to Him, for His food was to do the will of His Father. John 4:32
How many Christians today have discovered the worth of Jesus? How many love His presence and His words more than anything else in the world? We may love working for Him like Martha, but have we discovered the reality of Jesus and His word? It’s not something that can be found that easily, and so few discover it in their lifetime. The presence of Jesus needs to be discovered like gold or diamonds, which are not just lying on the surface. They need to be sort after.
Getting back to the 3 promises that are for those who love God. If you want to get the most out of them then loving Him more can be expressed by loving His word. Begin today by writing out some of His promises and stopping what you are doing now and then to read over them and speak them out. Memorising verses can also be a great project that will benefit you in this life and that which is to come. Lately I have been listening to chapters of the bible using ear buds or my cell phone. It is a wonderful way that we can get the word into us as we ride to work every day. Seize the day before its too late, for there are wonderful things waiting for those who love Him. - amen.