Daily Devotional #1,842

One of the things that I’ve discovered as the years go by is that the older I get, the more I need to exercise to  stay in shape and get stronger! One of the things that I have added to my regime is to lift weights. They aren’t  really heavy, but if you lift them enough times…they give you a good workout. If you want your body to stay  strong and healthy, you really need to exercise. But the same thing goes for our faith. The more you use it, the  stronger it gets. But how in the world do you exercise your faith? In the book of James in the Bible, he says  that your faith gets stronger when it is tested. That means when trials come into your life. When you lift  weights, you build muscle and get stronger. When you have to live through the weight of things not going like  you want them to, and trust God in that time, your faith gets stronger. Faith needs to be accompanied by  action…or it isn’t real faith. And a key way that you put that faith into real life is by expressing it through love.  So don’t let your faith just kind of sit there or even get weak and well, kind of flabby! The way you will treat  others this day will reflect the quality of your faith. Show God’s love through your actions today and you will  be exercising that faith and demonstrate the impact of God’s love in your life. Let faith lead you to acts of  kindness…even in the toughest of times. And in that way, you will show the world who this Jesus of the Bible  really is through you. Here’s our Bible verse for today…  

James 1:2-4 BSB Consider it pure joy, my brothers, when you encounter trials of many kinds, (3) because you  know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. (4) Allow perseverance to finish its work, so that  you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.  
Remember I’m praying for you!  
With love, PJ