“Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance.” (James 1:2-3) “The Devil and Daniel Webster" is a short story written in 1936, by Stephen Vincent Benét. He tells of a New Hampshire farmer, Jabez Stone who sells his soul to the devil. Farmer Stone is from the small town of Cross Corners, New Hampshire, and is plagued with unending bad luck. He finally says, ‘it's enough to make a man want to sell his soul to the devil!’ The next day he is visited by a stranger, identified as ‘Mr. Scratch’, who offers to give him seven years of prosperity for his soul. Stone agrees.” For seven years he flourished and helped his friends and neighbors, but finally the devil came to collect. Yet, even before the time came for Mr Scratch to collect, Stone had already become weary of everything going well, all of the time. He longed for the dark clouds that brought in a terrible storm to ruin his crops. He understood that it was tests and trials that produced endurance. Charles Spurgeon wrote, “I never found a child who hated its fault so much as when it was going to be punished for it. If you had no cause to dread the pit—if you knew that you might give up your life to sin, and that you might do so without punishment, would you still feel that you hated sin, and that you could not, would not, commit it again, except through the infirmity of the flesh? Would you still desire holiness? Would you still desire to live like Christ? If so—if you can say this in sincerity—if you can turn to God and hate the works of your flesh with an everlasting hatred, you need not fear but because you have a ‘repentance’ which is ‘unto life.’" Repentance is a gift that keeps on giving. It keeps on compelling us to the cross. It keeps us on our knees, not just for ourselves, but for others. Dear Lord, help us to not despise our trials and afflictions, for we know that the “keep us from exalting ourselves. Bless us Lord to ”Consider it all joy, when we encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of our faith produces endurance.” GiGi❤️
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