Friday 15 July 2016

GOD-TRACKING IS DEVELOPING GODLY CHARACTER THOUGH TRIALS

trACker 591
The e-Devotional helping to keep you on-track
Published through www.godtracker.co.uk

15 July 2016
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IT’S HERE!
God-tracking Through the Year - year two
By Dudley Anderson

The second in the series of 52 weekly readings to help keep you on track with the plans of God.

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Dear God-tracker

GOD-TRACKING IS DEVELOPING GODLY CHARACTER THOUGH TRIALS

James 1:2-4
2 Count it all joy, my brothers,[b] when you meet trials of various kinds, 3 for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. 4 And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

Let’s face it, tracking God’s plans can often become confusing when we experience difficulty or loss in life. If I am acknowledging God in everything I do and sense his call on my life then surely things will always work out well for me? Surely I won’t suffer difficulties like the next guy? After all, I’m a King’s kid! Or will they?

Job was an average guy like you or me except he was a very holy man. You could say that Job was a God Tracker. He acknowledged the Lord in all he did and strove to live a good life. In fact, the Bible describes Job as a man who feared God and shunned evil. He was married with a many children and was very well off. Though he was a good man, it pleased God to set Job the trial of his life. We read in the Bible book of his name how God allowed Satan to inflict Job with all manner of loss and difficulty. He lost his children; he lost his wealth and almost lost his own life to a dreaded skin disorder. Never-the-less, we read that, through it all, Job never “cursed God”. In other words, he never questioned God’s judgement or God’s sovereignty in his life. At the end of the story God speaks to Job and reminds him, in no uncertain terms, that he is God and Job is not! God reveals his sovereign right over the life and purposes of man, and his right to produce endurance, faith and character through trails in the lives of those he calls. But with hope: at the end of the book of Job we read, “The LORD blessed the latter part of Job's life more than the first.”

There is one difference between Job and you as a Christian, however. That difference is, Jesus! In Job we discover a man standing before God by his own righteousness. But as a Christian I stand before God by Christ’s righteousness, not my own. Because Christ had not yet come, Job was un-redeemed before God and a sinner in heart, like the rest of fallen mankind. Eventually Job admits, “Surely I spoke of things I did not understand, things too wonderful for me to know.” He then later adds, “Therefore I despise myself and repent in dust and ashes.” You see, Job was only good by his own standards but we, as redeemed by the blood of Jesus, are made good by Christ’s standards. The difference implies that Job was still under the curse of sin and death, while, in Christ, we are set free from the law of sin and death by the law of the Spirit of life.

As a God Tracker through Christ therefore, Job’s experience helps us to view our trials in a new light. God loved Job and God loves you. God restored Job after his trials and God will restore you after your trials, if you keep your eyes on Jesus. Through Christ, you can face every difficulty, every loss and every trial. Unlike Job, your victory is not found in your own credentials but in the credentials of Jesus Christ. Never-the-less, you can be sure you will still suffer the devil’s attacks through trials and tribulations. You may think this is unfair, the trials you suffer are not because God is testing your righteousness (as he did with Job) but because God is developing your character.

God-tracking is developing godly character through trials

Be strong in the Lord.

Dudley

READ ALL ABOUT IT!
Job
Romans 8:1-4
Romans 5:3-5


Don’t Give Up, Look Up!

I rest in your grace and power and not my own abilities, to get me through these problems

Pray
“Dear God, I realise now why I’m suffering these difficulties in life. I have prayed for your deliverance and continue to believe that you will bring me through this time. You are my only hope! However, I realise that these trials are for my good. The develop the character and tenacity I need to face further trials in life. I stand before you, O God, not by my own credentials but by those of Jesus. You caused Jesus to endure the trial of the cross so I can be made righteous by your grace; not my good works. Therefore, I rest in your grace and power and not my own abilities, to get me through these problems. Thank you Lord for my deliverance. Amen.”

If you want prayer, please email me at dudley@godtracker.co.uk

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What is trACker?
GodTracker and trACker owe their origins to an international Christian radio programme produced by Dudley Anderson called, On Track. Although On Track went off-air in 2005, trACker has continued to help people to track God's plans and purposes for their lives since July 2003.

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