January 19 Daily Devotional

Monthly Theme:

The theme of the month is spiritual war. Jesus won the battle not by might but by obedience. He is the source of salvation for all who obey him. When we have stood the test, we will share Christ's glory.

Bible Reading:

James 1:1–8

Bible Text:

Consider it pure joy ... whenever you face trials of many kinds, because ... testing ... develops perseverance ... that you may be mature (Jas 1:2–4).

Devotional:

No one is quite human until he or she has suffered. It was through suffering that Jesus completely identified with the people he came to save (Heb. 2:10).

If it is true that we cannot be human unless we suffer, it is also true that we cannot be a child of God unless we are tested. Students dislike tests. But it's hard to see how anyone can go through school without passing tests. A test gives us the opportunity to show what we have learned. When God gives us a test, we have the chance to show that we love him above all and our neighbors as ourselves. All of us need this kind of testing.

We must learn to love and adore God as our Father not only when the sun shines and life's boat floats gently down the stream. We must also honor him when the storm hits and we are in danger of capsizing in life's raging current. Sometimes God tests us by placing unlovable and unavoidable characters in our path, and we must learn to love them as well as our friends.

We would not be God's children if we didn't experience the ordinary tests of life. Our first parents faced a test in paradise (Gen. 3), Abraham had a test on Mount Moriah (Gen. 22: I), Israel was tested in the wilderness (Deut. 8:2), and Jesus faced tests throughout his life on earth. We need to work to pass these tests. This is the school of God's children.

Andrew Kuyvenhoven's Daylight, a modern devotional classic, was originally published in 1994. This edition is copyright by Faith Alive Christian Resources, from whom may be ordered Daylight, the predecessor of Twilight.

A man of many accomplishments, Andrew Kuyvenhoven is probably best known for his contributions to Today (formerly The Family Altar), a widely-used monthly devotional booklet associated with the Back to God Hour. Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations for this edition of Twilight are from the New International Version

Be sure to read the "Preface" and the "Acknowledgments" by the author.