You Count It Strange, So Once Did I Before I Knew My Savior...

I hope these words inspire you to conquer the rest of the week with a full heart and a smile :)

James 1:12
"God will bless you, if you don't give up when your faith is being tested. He will reward you with a glorious life, just as he rewards everyone who loves him"

There have been many times where I feel like I'm taking a test. This is very unnerving for me because I'm AWFUL with tests. If you sat with me and let me talk to you about a particular subject, I could amaze you with the knowledge I have. However, as soon as you put a test in front of me, I get so nervous I mess up. My mom and I used to fight about whether I was as smart as my older brother or not. I was convinced that, since I didn't get good grades on tests and class, that meant I was dumb. To this day, I still doubt I'm as smart as I truly am.

Now, this verse isn't talking just about written tests. This can involve tests of your physical strength, your will and most importantly, your faith. Many, many things can be thrown in the path of our everyday lives. Some days are tougher than others. At times we can feel lost in a crowd and other times we can feel more alone than we ever have before. This verse in James tells us that God will be with us and reward us for our good faith. We don't always understand and we don't always accept what is going on. However, in the words of Aaron Shust "we are not skilled to understand". It doesn't matter if we approve of God's will or if we think it's wonderful. It will happen and it will happen when He needs it to be done.

For me personally, it's hard to give up control. I love being in charge of everything around me because I know it will turn out the way I like. Giving everything up to God and trusting him is a daily battle. I have noticed the more I do this, the easier my life becomes. I have a feeling this will be a struggle the rest of my life, but I wouldn't want to work that hard for anyone else. God is so amazing and does wonderful things if you just let Him. It may not be what you want and when you want. The one thing I can guarantee is that it is worth it :)

Peace to you,


"My Savior My God" by Aaron Shust