He made their way to the children's place, those that might be helping them. There are notes available for those that didn't get them out in the foyer. This morning's sermon is entitled Walk the Walk and it comes from James chapter 1 verses 1 through 8. So let's turn there to James and follow with me as I read chapter 1, verses 1 through 8. If you don't have a Bible with you this morning, there's one in the seat back in front of you there. But James chapter 1, verses 1 through 8. And James writes, James, a bondservant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the 12 tribes who are dispersed abroad, greetings. Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him. but he must ask in faith without any doubting. For the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind. For that man ought not to expect that he will receive anything from the Lord. Being a double-minded man, unstable in all of his ways." Let's pray. Gracious Heavenly Father, as we go now to the message this morning. We thank you for your inerrant and timeless Word, the infallible Word of God. We thank you for what you have for us this morning in the book of James about trials and tribulations, about allowing these trials to produce a perfect result, about seeking your wisdom And not only that, but seeking it in confidence, asking in faith and without doubt. Father, we all have our trials to bear. And as we'll learn, we are commanded to consider them all joy. To consider them joy because we know it's the trials and tribulations in our life that strengthen our faith. As Spurgeon says, trial is the element of faith. And Father, because we're not perfect, we sometimes lose sight that you are a sovereign God. A God who permits and purposes everything that happens in our lives. And you purpose and permit these things for your good and for your glory. Father, we pray that you would help each and every one of us to be ever mindful of that. We pray that You bestow Your blessing upon us this morning, that we take these lessons that Your Word has for us and apply them to our daily lives. That we learn, as the quote said this morning, that we learn to trust and obey and that we would honor and glorify you in all that we do and say. It's in your son's precious name that we pray. Amen. I'd like to preface the sermon this morning by giving credit to Dr. John MacArthur and his sermon was in large part from his commentary and as well as quotes and readings from Charles Spurgeon. Allow me to begin with a comparison if I may. During the course of our daily lives we're constantly exposed to the world of advertising and we're bombarded with countless commercials either on TV or advertisements and magazines or online that boast about new and improved products and They claim to make our lives better. These ads claim that we just can't live without these products that they're advertising. Products that promise to give us whiter teeth, cleaner clothes, tastier food, so on and so on. But we soon realize that talk is cheap and we realize that most of the time those boasts and claims in these ads were just talk. quite far from the truth. They don't follow through with action or truth. But, and here's the comparison, but we as Christians also make claims and we're sometimes guilty of not following through with action. Sometimes we profess to trust God and to be His people, but we don't live our lives and we contradict the gospel with the way that we live our lives. Now over these past years that I filled the pulpit for Pastor Dale as he's been away, I've taught almost exclusively from the book of James. I love the book of James. I've taught through the first two chapters of James up to chapter 3, and I was going to continue on in chapter 3. But as I was looking back on my material and previous sermons that I've preached, I started looking again at chapter 1 and verses 1 through 8 that talk about trials and tribulations. And as I was reviewing my notes, I just felt led to revisit that message because of the impacts that trials and tribulations and challenges have on my life. as I'm sure they do on yours. And you know, because God's Word is timeless, this topic is not, it's not only relevant to the people that James preached to, or the church body that I preached to many years ago, but it's just as relevant today. I'm certain there's not one person sitting here this morning that doesn't experience trials and tribulations in their life, or our experience of trial and tribulation in their life, or sharing in a trial or tribulation of a loved one or a friend. So as I said a moment ago, we're sometimes guilty of not following through with action and contradict the gospel with the way that we live our lives. James confronts this conflict or this contradiction head-on. He teaches that it's not enough to talk the Christian faith. He says that we must live it. And James tells us there in chapter 1, verse 22, he says, But prove yourselves doers of the word, not merely hearers who delude themselves. And again in James 2.14, he says, What use is it, my brethren, if someone says he has faith, but he has no works? Can that faith save him? In other words, don't just talk the talk. We need to walk the walk. Genuine faith will inevitably produce good deeds. This is the main theme throughout James' letter about which he gives us practical advice on living the Christian life or walking the walk. Now, I state this just about every time I preach from James that If you ever wanted a how-to manual on Christian living, James is certainly it. It's been said that James' epistle was greatly influenced by the Sermon on the Mount, the truths of which James no doubt heard in person from Jesus, either on that occasion or others. And many of its themes have parallels in his epistle. And if time permitted, we could go through a verse-by-verse comparison between the Sermon on the Mount and the book of James. But just for a quick example, if you have James open, just keeping your finger on James, look at Matthew 5, verses 10 through 12. Matthew 5, verses 10 through 12. Matthew writes, "'Blessed are those who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil things against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad for your reward in heaven is great for in the same way they persecute the prophets who were before you.'" Now turning back to James, James 1-2 says, consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials or persecutions. He's talking to Jewish believers who have been dispersed and are being persecuted. And then one more time in Matthew, and we'll be coming back to James, but one more time in Matthew 5-48, He says, therefore you are to be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect. And in James 1.4, turning back to James, he says, and let endurance have its perfect result so that you may be perfect and complete and lacking in nothing. In fact, the book of James may well be viewed as a practical commentary on that sermon, the Sermon on the Mount. Like his Lord before him, James presents a series of tests by which the genuineness of salvation can be determined. But I think if we want to better understand the book of James, I think we must consider who James was. I just want to take a moment to just summarize who James was. The book of James was written in about 49 A.D., just before the Jerusalem Council in 50 A.D. This makes it the earliest canon in the New Testament. Had it been written any later, surely James would have referenced the Jerusalem Council in his writing. So we're quite confident that it was written before 50 A.D., probably sometime between 44 and 49 A.D. And there are really only two James in the New Testament that are serious candidates for authorship of this book. The first one, and some have suggested that James the son of Zebedee, the brother of John, was the author, but he was martyred too early in his life to have written it. That leaves only James, the older half-brother of Jesus and the brother of Jude. Now James had first rejected his brother Jesus as the Messiah. It was only later after his crucifixion that he believed in him. It's doubtful that James believed or even respected Jesus in his early phases of his ministry. Surprisingly, although they grew up with him and observed firsthand his sinless perfect life, Jesus' brother did not at first believe in him. John records their unbelief exhibited by challenging Jesus to reveal Himself openly. And he does this in John chapter 7, 2 through 5. Turn with me there if you will. John 7, 2 through 5. John 7, 2-5. And John writes, Now the Feast of Jews, the Feast of Booths, was near. Therefore his brother said to him, Leave here and go to Judea, so that your disciples also may see your works which you were doing. For no one does anything in secret when he himself seeks to be known publicly. If you do these things, show yourself to the world. For not even his brothers were believing in him. If in Genesis 37 Joseph's brother struggled with his sense of that he was destined for greatness, imagine the difficulty of being Jesus' younger brother. I can't even imagine the tensions and difficulties and dynamics in that family. I can just imagine there must have been jealousy and resentment because of Jesus' perfect nature. It had to be difficult On top of that, people were calling him the Messiah. As mentioned previously, the Gospels even hint at family tension. The first time John's Gospel mentioned Jesus' sibling was there in John 7, 3-5 as we just read. They mock him again in Matthew 12, 46-50. Jesus' family shows no respect for his ministry. And finally, when the Gospels named who stayed with Jesus at the cross, only his mother Mary is mentioned, not his brothers. Now it's impossible to determine when James came to faith, but Jesus appeared to him after the resurrection to either instill or seal his faith. Jesus rapidly became a pillar of the faith and a leader of the Jerusalem church along with Peter and John. James presided over the Jerusalem Council in 50 AD as evidenced in Acts 15. That council had been convened to decide the momentous question to whether salvation required obedience to the Mosaic Law or was by grace alone working through faith. James was also known as James the Just because of his personal righteousness and his passion to promote righteousness in others. And he was then martyred in the year 62 AD. So, now that we know just a little bit about the man, let's look at the book of James starting in verse 1. If you'll turn there with me to James, we'll start in chapter 1, verse 1. And it says, James, a bondservant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ to the twelve tribes who were dispersed abroad. greetings." So we see in that first phrase there, James, a bondservant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, in spite of his prominence, notice that he does not describe himself as Mary's son or as Jesus' half-brother or his prominent position in the Jerusalem church, does he? Nor does he mention the fact that the resurrected Christ appeared to him. Instead, He describes himself what? As a bondservant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ. The Greek word doulos, bondservant, depicts a slave. To be a doulos of God was considered a great honor in the Jewish culture. Such Old Testament men such as Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Job, Moses, Joshua, Caleb, David, Isaiah, and Daniel are all described as servants. And then in the New Testament, Timothy, Paul, Peter, Jude, John, and even the Lord Himself also bore the title of doulos. Remember doulos is described as a servant who willingly commits himself to serve a master that he loves and respects. It's not a slave that's kept against his will. The second part of that verse says, "...to the twelve tribes who were dispersed abroad." At first glance there, it seems that James is writing to Jews. After all, the verse does say to the twelve tribes who were dispersed abroad. The twelve tribes would represent Israel and the dispersion signifies the Jews scattered throughout the pagan world. But there's a reason to think that he's writing to Christian Jews and not just Jews in general. First of all, James is a church leader. Secondly, Paul and Peter established that the church is the true heir of God's promise to the tribes of Israel. And thirdly, dispersion can serve as a metaphor to indicate believers are never fully at home in this world. We see that in 1 Peter 1.1 and 1.17 and 2.11. In those verses believers are referred to as aliens and as strangers and phrases like during the time of your stay on earth. So we're not of this world. So it's likely that most of the believers that James is speaking to were converted in or near Jerusalem and may have been under James' pastoral care. James' primary audience was those Jews that had fled the area because of persecution and were still suffering trials because of their faith. So to give them confidence or hope and strength to endure those trials, James gives them a series of tests by which they could determine the genuineness of their faith. Now although James was writing to Jews, this message speaks to us as Christians today. We know scripture is timeless. God's Word never changes. It's the same yesterday as it is today as it will be tomorrow. James wrote his letter to challenge his readers to examine their faith, to see if it was a genuine saving faith. And in his book he outlines more than a dozen tests throughout the book to see if you have a genuine saving faith. In chapter 1 he talks about the test of perseverance and suffering. We're going to talk about that today. And the test of of blame and temptation in response to the Word. In chapter 2 he talks about the test of impartial love and of righteous works. And then in chapter 3 he talks about the test of the tongue, of humble wisdom, of worldly indulgence. In chapter 4 he speaks of the test of worldly indulgence and of dependence. And then in chapter 5 he talks about the test of patient endurance, of truthfulness, of prayerfulness, and of true faith. All of these tests are presented in the book of James and they can apply to us today in the same way that they did for James' audience. And then if we look at the third part of that first verse, the third part is simply the phrase, greetings, which means rejoice or be glad. It was a common greeting during that time. He wrote to gladden the heart of his readers by giving them means to verify the genuineness of their salvation. So we talked a little bit about who James was writing to and the trials and persecution that the Jews were suffering at that time. So in verses 2 through 8 they talk about profiting from those trials. I just want to read verses 2 through 8 real quickly once again. Verses 2-8, Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him. But he must ask in faith without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind. For that man ought not to expect that he will receive anything from the Lord, being double-minded, unstable in all of his ways." So you see there in verse 2 it starts, Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials. So just dissecting that verse a little, he starts with, consider it all joy. Consider it all joy. The Greek word consider there translates to count or evaluate. Now let's be realistic. The natural human response to trials usually is not to rejoice or to take joy. The believer must make a conscious decision or commitment to face trials with joy. I don't know about you, but I have a very difficult time doing that when I'm faced with a trial in my life. Occasionally we'll fall back on our human response by either asking why is this trial happening, or what did I do to deserve this, or trying to solve the problem ourselves, or seek some worldly advice. So we as mere humans need to consider and make a conscious decision on how we treat the trials in our life. That in my opinion will be the true mark of a spiritually mature Christian. If at the precise moment you experience a trial and you immediately find joy in that trial. We'll talk about why we should consider it joy in a few minutes. The next phrase, my brethren, this phrase is referring to believing Jews among the scattered Jews as the opening verse talks of. This is evidenced by other references throughout James' letter where he references and refers to his readers as brethren. There's more than a dozen times during the book of James that he that he references brethren. James' primary audience is true believers, his brethren in Christ. By calling them brethren, he adds a special note of identification and love, just as I would refer to you as brethren. And then the last part of that verse, it says, when you consider various trials, when you consider various trials. Notice that the text doesn't say if, it says when. That would imply that trials are inevitable, aren't they? I think that's a given that not many people would debate. Let's talk about trials for a minute. The word trials means trouble or breaking the pattern of peace, comfort, or joy in someone's life. We know that's happening constantly in our lives. So if our lives are a constant series of trials, why do you think God puts trials in our life? Scripture mentions at least eight purposes for God putting trials in our life. I just want to mention these briefly. I don't have time to expound on these in detail, but I just want to mention these briefly. Eight purposes for God putting trials in our life. The first and the last stand out the most to me. But the first reason is trials test and strengthen our faith. Trials test and strengthen our faith. I'm going to come back to that one. Number two, trials are put in our life to humble us. To remind us not to let our trust in the Lord turn to presumption. Number three, trials wean us from our dependence on worldly things. The more we acquire, the more we're tempted to rely on them instead of the Lord. Next, trials call us to eternal and heavenly hope. The harder trials become, the longer they last, the more we look towards being with the Lord. Number five, trials reveal what we really love. Abraham's willingness to sacrifice his son not only proved his faith, but what? Also, his supreme love for the Lord. Seven, trials helped to develop in a saint's enduring strength for greater usefulness. You know, when things are quiet and comfortable, we tend to live by sense rather than by faith. True faith of a believer is usually not known during a time of peace. It's only during a time of trial and tribulation. And finally, number eight, trials enable us to better help others in their trials. Trials enable us to better help others in their trials. Paul sums this up in 2 Corinthians 1, 3 through 6. I would ask you to turn there to 2 Corinthians 1, 3 through 6. Paul writes, Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our afflictions so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. For just as the sufferings of Christ are ours in abundance, so also our comfort is abundant through Christ. But if we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation. Or if we are comforted, it is for your comfort which is effective in the patient enduring of the same suffering which we also suffer." I don't know how many times I've been in a situation of feeling that I can relate to or I can help a brother and sister in Christ because they're going through a trial or tribulation in their life, and I'm going through the same trial, or had been going through that same trial, and I'm able to comfort them because I've been through that same trial, and experienced that same trial. So going back to that first reason or purpose that God puts trials in our life, Trials produce character and strength in our lives. As we all know, trials are not always accidents or sickness or disease or adverse things that we typically think of as trials. Trials can also spring from prosperity in our life. We see that in James 1 verses 9 through 11. Trials from Prosperity can be wealth or knowledge or skill or high position. Things that you don't usually associate with trials. But these things in our lives can lead to pride or temptation or self-sufficiency and dependence on worldly possessions instead of the Lord. The verb form of the word trial means to put someone or something to the test. to put someone or something to the test with the purpose of discovering that person's nature or that thing's quality. So God brings these trials in our lives to prove and increase the strength and quality of one's faith to determine its validity. Every trial becomes a test of strength designed to strengthen us. That's why God gives us trials and tribulations in our life. That's why they should be considered all joy. The fact is trials strengthen us. Trials strengthen us. At the time we may not understand why, but God has a plan for our lives, doesn't He? So we must see that our world is a constant testing of our faith. Spurgeon writes concerning that. He says, we must expect trial because trial is the element of faith. Trial is the element of faith. Faith without trial is like a diamond uncut, the brilliance of which has never been seen. A fish without water or a bird without air is faith without trial. And God will give us these trials, even in the best things that He gives us, like marriage, like children, even living our faith. Peace is rare, almost abnormal. Trials are common. It's just different degrees of trials that we face, from getting stuck in traffic to that difficult diagnosis that we might get from our physician. The true mark of a mature Christian is what? To consider them all joy. Looking there at verse 3 it says, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. Testing of your faith produces endurance. So we know that trials are a testing of our faith and it's this testing that produces endurance. And it's through these tests that Christians learn to withstand the pressure of the trials that God puts in our lives until such time as God chooses to remove them at His time. And that's the important thing, at His time. That's the key point to remember. It's not when we think we've had enough or that we want the trial to end. It's only when God in His infinite wisdom, when He knows how many and how severe the trial should be, that He chooses to remove that trial. That's when we need to pray that we accept God's perfect plan for us and for our life. We're going through trials. We pray to God, we consider it joy, and we know that God is sovereign, has a perfect plan for our life, and we're going through these trials for a reason. And just one last thought, and most people don't think about this as trials, but I just wanted to add this one last thought on trials. We learn that God can use all of life's sorrows and all its joys to bring believers to maturity, but it's misleading to use these lessons in James as the first word in grief counseling. When we console someone or we're comforting someone about a lost love or a bad report from a medical test that they just received, we don't say, cheer up, I just saw this verse in James and it addresses your very situation. No, that's not the right time for a lesson in James, but we have that lesson and there's a time and a place for all the scripture that we reference. The point being we need to comfort and console during those times. When Jesus met Mary and Martha after their brother Lazarus died, Jesus did not say God has a purpose in this, even though He knew that He did. First He comforted them and He even wept with them. So to use God or to use James as grief counseling is to miss the point. You need to comfort and console and then when the time is right you can share this lesson in James. So let's look at verse 4. Verse 4 says, And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. This perfect result is not a reference to moral or spiritual perfection or sinlessness, but rather to that which is fully developed. We know we can't achieve perfection, but it refers to a spiritual maturity fulfilled in Christlikeness. That's the goal of endurance and perseverance. The testing of faith drives believers to a deeper communion and a greater trust in Christ. Qualities that in turn produce a stable, godly, righteous character. That word complete carries the idea of being whole or entire. To allow no possibility for misunderstanding, James adds there, lacking in nothing. to be complete, lacking in nothing, reinforcing the comprehensiveness of his point. So that's the end result of trials, maturity, completeness, not lacking in anything of spiritual importance or value. 1 Peter tells us in 1 Peter 5.10, you don't have to turn there, but 1 Peter 5.10 says, after you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace who called you to his eternal glory in Christ will himself perfect, confirm, strengthen, and establish you. So let's continue on. Look at verse 5. He says there, but if any of you lacks wisdom let him ask of God who gives to all generously and without reproach and it will be given to him. So when believers are going through trials, they need a special measure of understanding to help them through that trial. And that need should drive them to ask of God to supply that understanding and to supply that wisdom. Strong, sound faith is not based on feelings, but on knowledge and understanding of the promises of God's truth. which is spiritual wisdom. When believers face time of testing, whether it be physical, emotional, moral, or spiritual, they have a special need of God's wisdom. I should go without saying that trials should enhance your prayer life as we turn to the Lord for guidance, for strength, for patience, and for wisdom. And when we ask of God for His wisdom, James assures us that far from being stingy and granting that gracious gift to His children, He what? He gives to all generously and without reproach. It's the Lord's loving desire to impart divine understanding abundantly to His children. Abundantly. That's one of the most beautiful promises in Scripture. And wouldn't we do that very same thing for our children if they asked? Of course we would. We would feel hurt if they didn't come to us and ask us for advice. The only difference is, much to my children's dismay, I impart my wisdom whether they ask for it or not, but The point being, if our children came to us, we would certainly want to impart our wisdom to them. Verse 6 says, let him ask. Let him ask. It translates to an imperative verb in the Greek. James is not giving personal advice here, but a divine command. And therefore, calling on the Lord, it's not an option. It's mandatory. If we don't go to the Lord, He is likely to keep that trial or test active and maybe even intensify it until we go to His throne of grace. Generously, the verse says, who gives to all generously. That carries the idea of doing something unconditionally without bargaining. When we come in our trials to God and ask for His help, He gives it to us generously. This is so beautifully expressed in Jesus' promise in Matthew 7, 7-11. Again, you don't have to turn there. But in Matthew 7, 7-11, it reads, Ask and it will be given to you. Seek and you will find. Knock and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be open. Or what man is there among you when he asks his son for a loaf, will not give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, he will not give him a snake, will he? If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, How much more will your Father who is in heaven give what is good to those who ask Him? And then lastly in that verse the word reproach. The word reproach which means to severely reprimand. The Lord will never cast even the mildest reproach on a child of Him that comes seeking for wisdom in a time of need. He'll not remind us of how undeserving and how unworthy we are, as obvious as that might be. His divine wisdom will be given to us in generous abundance. To any unbelievers that might be here or listening, how do you face trials in your life the same way that I did before I became a believer, before I had Jesus in my life by my own means and methods. Certainly not in faith or by asking for God's wisdom. Let's move on to verse 6. He says, but we must ask in faith, we must ask in faith without any doubting. For the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. We must pray in confidence without doubting that God is going to provide the wisdom that we seek. Put your faith in the Lord. He'll never forsake you. Occasionally I find myself praying for God's wisdom or help in a situation and sometimes I find myself doubting that God's not hearing me or that God might not answer my prayer. It's like a sermon I preached five or six months ago on that topic. Believing in prayer and not doubting God's power. I think we're all guilty of that from time to time. Even the disciples doubted Christ from time to time. How many times in Scripture did Jesus tell them, oh you of little faith. When that verse refers to the surf of the sea, it refers to a person who doubts God's ability or willingness to provide the wisdom that we pray for. It's like the billowing restless sea moving back and forth with its endless tides never able to settle. I want to wrap up with verses 7 and 8. It says, for that man ought not to expect that he will receive anything from the Lord, being a double-minded man, unstable in all of his ways. The man who doubts the Lord, I'm not talking about an occasional doubting or turning to worldly things first before we turn to the Lord, but the man who doubts the Lord is one whose thinking is divided within himself. Not merely because of mental indecision, but an inner moral conflict or distrust in God. That term double-minded man, it's a literal translation of a Greek expression that denotes having one's mind or soul divided between God and the world. This man is a hypocrite. occasionally believes in God, but fails to trust in Him when trials come, and thus he receives nothing." This expression is used in verse 4-8, and it clearly refers to an unbeliever. I know we've gone over several verses this morning, and those first eight verses in James, they teach us a valuable lesson about trials, and I know eight verses are quite a bit to cover in one morning, but it's just an overview. I would pray that the lesson this morning would lead us to the book of James, lead us to a more in-depth study in James. So very quickly, in summary, what have we learned this morning? One, expect trials in your life. they're inevitable. But consider them a test from God to strengthen your faith. And more importantly, what? Consider them all joy. Two, allow these trials to test your endurance and produce a perfect result so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. Three, seek wisdom from God who is anxious to give it to you abundantly and without reproach. And fourth, but when seeking, ask in faith without doubting. For a man who asks in doubt will receive nothing. In closing, Janine and I, as part of our daily time, in the Word when we're doing our devotions and reading. We're reading through Spurgeon's daily devotions morning and evening. Some of you may have this book and use it on a daily basis. And we read one a few weeks ago and it sums up perfectly the crux of this morning's message. And I would just ask you to allow me to share this one with you. And at the beginning of each devotion, it references a verse. And the verse that this devotion references is Hebrews 5.8. Hebrews 5.8. And it talks of Christ being a perfect high priest. That Christ is a perfect high priest. He's gone through the same things that we're going through. And verse 8 reads, Although he was a son, he learned obedience from the things that he suffered." Although he was a son, he learned obedience from the things that he suffered. So allow me to read this devotion. We are told that the captain of our salvation was made perfect through suffering. Therefore, we who are sinful and who are far from being perfect must not wonder if we are called to pass through suffering too. Shall the head be crowned with thorns and shall the other members of the body be rocked upon the dainty lap of ease? Must Christ pass through seas of His own blood to win the crown and we to walk to heaven dry shod in silver slippers? No. Our Master's experience teaches us that suffering is necessary and the true born child of God must not, would not escape it if he might. But there's one very comforting thought in the fact of Christ being made perfect through suffering. It is that He can have complete sympathy with us. He's not a high priest that cannot be touched with the feeling of our own infirmities. In this sympathy of Christ we find a sustaining power. One of the early martyrs said, I can bear it all for Jesus suffered and he suffers in me now. He sympathizes with me and this makes me strong. Believer, lay hold of this thought in all times of agony. Let the thought of Jesus strengthen you as you follow in His steps. Find a sweet support in His sympathy. And remember that to suffer is an honorable thing. To suffer for Christ is glory. The apostles rejoiced that they were counted worthy to do this. Just so far as the Lord shall give us grace to suffer for Christ, to suffer with Christ, just so far does He honor us. The jewels of a Christian are his afflictions. The jewels of a Christian are his afflictions. The regalia of the kings whom God hath anointed are their troubles, their sorrows, and their griefs. Let us not therefore shun being honored. Let us not turn aside from being exalted. Griefs exalt us, and troubles lift us up. If we suffer, we shall also reign with Him. Let's pray. Heavenly Father, we just thank You this morning for timing Your Word. We thank You for the trials in our life. The trials and tribulations that You put in our life. The trials that strengthen us and give us endurance. We thank You for being a God that we can turn to, that we can turn to for abundant wisdom. And we pray that we can turn to You and not the world or ourselves. Father, we pray that You would be with us this week. Pray that You would help us to take the lessons that we've heard this morning to apply it to our lives, and that You would bless and keep us until we meet here again. It's in Jesus' name that we pray, Amen.