"Tried and True"

Life’s desire, put through the fire,

And tested by the Lord,

Binds us close, to Him the most,

We’re held by love’s strong chord.

Untested men, who have not been,

Through the needed trial,

Will disappoint, God can’t anoint,

They can’t get by on style.

They may mean well, but time will tell,

The stuff with which they’re made,

It will come out, there is no doubt,

By the devil they are swayed.

Give me those, whom God holds close,

Who have endured and won,

Just one or two, who take their cue,

From Jesus Christ the Son.

They walk through flame, in Jesus’ name,

They know we die to live,

And through it all, they hear God’s call,

And all to Him they give.

“Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance.” (James 1:2-3, NAS)

God’s word puts a high premium on endurance. The one who keeps on keeping on is rewarded for sticking with it when others quit. When trials come, and they always will, the faithful count it joy because they can see past the immediate to the eternal value of the lesson. Every trial I ever experienced was something I looked forward to getting past. I never prayed that the trial would last six months longer so that I could be sure to learn what God was teaching me. On the other hand, those things learned in the crucible of suffering can never be stolen.

Lord, help us count every trial as joy, in Jesus’ name.

Art by Mark Maggiori, used by permission. Thanks, Mark, and God bless you.