| Good morning everyone, Our theme for this month: “Deep Discipleship” Our Bible verse for today: “Consider it a great joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you experience various trials, because you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its full effect, so that you may be mature and complete, lacking in nothing.” James 1:2-4 (CSB) Our thought for today: “On the other side of the crisis” I know a man who survived the crash of a commercial jet. It was a horrifying experience as the plane fell out of the sky, crashed, and other people around him died. But he survived. He was injured and traumatized, but alive. It took him years to work through the emotional trauma of that incident but as he did, he grew. He had a great appreciation for life and a determination to live it well. That young man went on to be the founder of a short-term mission agency and a leader in the world of short-term missions. He also founded a publishing company that specializes in printing and distributing mission-related literature. He was also the man who encouraged me to write my first book, “Bringing it Home: A Post-Trip Devotional Guide for International and Domestic Short-term Mission Teams.” I have known other people who survived major health episodes, which then became life-altering events for them. The health crisis itself was a bad thing, but ultimately what came out of it was a good thing because the person gained a new appreciation for life, and they also ended up taking much better care of themselves. One of my favorite leadership books is “Failing Forward: Turning Mistakes into Stepping Stones for Success,” by John Maxwell. It’s all about taking hold of what seems to be a failure or misfortune in life, and turning it into something positive that results in making you better, stronger, and more successful as a result of having gone through the crisis. The practice of deep discipleship teaches us how to use difficult and even tragic life experiences as a platform for growth. This is what James was teaching in James 1:2-4. Of such people Pastor Chuck Swindoll writes, “These are the most secure, genuinely humble, godly, gracious, and honest people one can imagine. But it took the desert (time in a crisis) to make them that way.” If you are in a difficult season of life right now – a crisis of some sort or a particularly challenging time, I want you to know that there is life on the other side of the crisis. Use your time now to grow closer to the Lord. Lean on Him, rely on Him, learn from Him. He will bring you through it and you will be better and stronger once this is over. God bless, Pastor Jim (If you like what you’re reading in these daily devotionals, and if you would like more content from Oak Hill Baptist Church, join us on Sundays at 10:00, in-person if you are nearby or, if you are geographically distant or if you just can’t make it, online at www.YouTube.com/@oakhillbaptistcrossville |
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