Devotional by David Craig
SUNDAY NOVEMBER 2
TESTS ARE OPPORTUNITIES

Count it all joy when you fall into various trials. James 1:2 (NKJV)

Do you enjoy taking tests? Most people don’t. In fact, the word test generally carries a negative connotation, but perhaps it’s because we’re looking at it all wrong.

What if we shifted our perspective when it comes to difficult circumstances we dislike or challenges we have to overcome? What if we viewed uncomfortable situations as less of a test and more of an opportunity for the grace and power of God to shine through us?

I’m not suggesting you put on a fake smile and pretend you’re enjoying grief, heartbreak, or a hard time in life because that’s not reality. But if you’re going through a tough season, there is something you can do: imagine yourself on the other side of it. You’re wiser because of it and better equipped mentally and emotionally than before. Your endurance and faith have grown. You have increased compassion for others in similar situations, and perhaps newfound knowledge to help lessen someone else’s suffering. Would viewing problems this way not totally change how you go through trials?

That’s why James 1:3–4 (MSG) sees problems through a positive lens. It says, “Under pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colours. So don’t try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do its work so you become mature and well-developed, not deficient in any way.”

When the next problem inevitably comes along, reframe it from a negative test to an excellent opportunity to trust God and let Him work through it and you. Then, as you walk through life’s various trials, you’ll understand how to count it as joy!

Devotional by Leon Fontaine
THURSDAY MARCH 6

STOP THE BIRDS FROM NESTING IN YOUR HAIR!
You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You. Isaiah 26:3 (NKJV)

Where you place your focus greatly affects how you experience life.
Take pain as an example. The more we focus on pain, the more pain we experience and the more it controls our lives. The same is true with every temptation and negative thought.

My dad had a favorite saying: “You can’t stop the birds from flying over your head, but you can stop them from making a nest in your hair.” In other words, negative thoughts will come, but we don’t have to give them our focus.

If we focus on negative thoughts, they take up more space in our lives. Maybe it’s thoughts about what someone has done to you, or what you’ve done wrong. Maybe it’s a diagnosis you’ve received. If you focus on it, that thought will begin to affect your decisions; it’ll cause you to doubt, hold offense, or live in fear.

I’m not saying you should ignore the problem. Talk to experts and take advantage of the help the world has to offer you. Then push fearful thoughts out of your mind and choose to focus on God’s Word and His promises, because His Word brings faith and life.

As a believer, you are designed to walk in the power of God. Don’t allow your focus to be only on this world’s limited ability to help you. You’re a son or daughter of God who has His Spirit within you. You can learn to allow His peace to reign in your heart as you walk through life victoriously with the joy of the Lord as your strength!

Dailey Devotion from Miracle Channel