James 1:12 (KJV) Blessed is the man that endureth temptation...
James 1:1 James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ,
To the twelve tribes in the Dispersion:
Greetings.
2 Count it all joy, my brothers, 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...
12 Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him. 13 Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one. 14 But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. 15 Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.
16 Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers. 17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. 18 Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.
(Hymn 20 in Joseph Hart's Hymns Composed on Various Subjects. third edition 1811)
1 AND must it, Lord be so?
And must thy children bear
Such various kinds of woe,
Such soul-perplexing fear?
Are these the blessings we expect?
Is this the lot of God's elect?
2 Daily we groan and mourn
Beneath the weight of sin.
We pray to be new-born,
But know not what we mean;
We think of something very great,
Something that's undiscover'd yet.
3 Boast not, ye sons of earth,
Nor look with scornful eyes:
Above your highest mirth
Our saddest hours we prize.
For though our cup seems fill'd with gall,
There's something secret sweetens all.
4 How harsh soe'er the way,
Dear Saviour, still lead on;
Nor leave us, 'till we say,
"Father, thy will be done."
At most we do but taste the cup;
For thou alone has drunk it up.
5 Shall guilty man complain?
Shall sinful dust repine?
And what is all our pain,
How light compar'd with thine?
Finish, dear Lord, what is begun.
Choose thou the way; but still lead on.
How harsh soe'er the way,
Dear Saviour, still lead on;
Nor leave us, 'till we say,
"Father, thy will be done."
Finish, dear Lord, what is begun.
Choose thou the way; but still lead on.
and speak, O Israel,
“My way is hidden from the LORD,
and my right is disregarded by my God”?
28 Have you not known? Have you not heard?
The LORD is the everlasting God,
the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He does not faint or grow weary;
his understanding is unsearchable.
29 He gives power to the faint,
and to him who has no might he increases strength.
30 Even youths shall faint and be weary,
and young men shall fall exhausted;
31 but they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength;
they shall mount up with wings like eagles;
they shall run and not be weary;
they shall walk and not faint.
How harsh soe'er the way,
Dear Saviour, still lead on;
Nor leave us, 'till we say,
"Father, thy will be done."
Finish, dear Lord, what is begun.
Choose thou the way; but still lead on.
John 12:27 “Now is my soul troubled. And what shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’? But for this purpose I have come to this hour.
Matthew 26:36 Then Jesus went with them to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to his disciples, “Sit here, while I go over there and pray.” 37 And taking with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, he began to be sorrowful and troubled. 38 Then he said to them, “My soul is very sorrowful, even to death; remain here, and watch with me.” 39 And going a little farther he fell on his face and prayed, saying, “My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.” 40 And he came to the disciples and found them sleeping. And he said to Peter, “So, could you not watch with me one hour? 41 Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” 42 Again, for the second time, he went away and prayed, “My Father, if this cannot pass unless I drink it, your will be done.” 43 And again he came and found them sleeping, for their eyes were heavy. 44 So, leaving them again, he went away and prayed for the third time, saying the same words again.
Hebrews 5:7 In the days of his flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to him who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverence. 8 Although he was a son, he learned obedience through what he suffered. 9 And being made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey him, 10 being designated by God a high priest after the order of Melchizedek.
Hebrews 2:14 Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, 15 and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery. 16 For surely it is not angels that he helps, but he helps the offspring of Abraham. 17 Therefore he had to be made like his brothers in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. 18 For because he himself has suffered when tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.
Finish, dear Lord, what is begun.
Choose thou the way; but still lead on.
O Zion, herald of good news;
lift up your voice with strength,
O Jerusalem, herald of good news;
lift it up, fear not;
say to the cities of Judah,
“Behold your God!”
10 Behold, the Lord GOD comes with might,
and his arm rules for him;
behold, his reward is with him,
and his recompense before him.
11 He will tend his flock like a shepherd;
he will gather the lambs in his arms;
he will carry them in his bosom,
and gently lead those that are with young.
12 Who has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand
and marked off the heavens with a span,
enclosed the dust of the earth in a measure
and weighed the mountains in scales
and the hills in a balance?
13 Who has measured the Spirit of the LORD,
or what man shows him his counsel?
14 Whom did he consult,
and who made him understand?
Who taught him the path of justice,
and taught him knowledge,
and showed him the way of understanding?
Finish, dear Lord, what is begun.
Choose thou the way; but still lead on.
his praise from the end of the earth,
you who go down to the sea, and all that fills it,
the coastlands and their inhabitants.
11 Let the desert and its cities lift up their voice,
the villages that Kedar inhabits;
let the habitants of Sela sing for joy,
let them shout from the top of the mountains.
12 Let them give glory to the LORD,
and declare his praise in the coastlands.
13 The LORD goes out like a mighty man,
like a man of war he stirs up his zeal;
he cries out, he shouts aloud,
he shows himself mighty against his foes.
14 For a long time I have held my peace;
I have kept still and restrained myself;
now I will cry out like a woman in labor;
I will gasp and pant.
15 I will lay waste mountains and hills,
and dry up all their vegetation;
I will turn the rivers into islands,
and dry up the pools.
16 And I will lead the blind
in a way that they do not know,
in paths that they have not known
I will guide them.
I will turn the darkness before them into light,
the rough places into level ground.
These are the things I do,
and I do not forsake them.
17 They are turned back and utterly put to shame,
who trust in carved idols,
who say to metal images,
“You are our gods.”
Finish, dear Lord, what is begun.
Choose thou the way; but still lead on.
and the angel of his presence saved them;
in his love and in his pity he redeemed them;
he lifted them up and carried them all the days of old.
10 But they rebelled
and grieved his Holy Spirit;
therefore he turned to be their enemy,
and himself fought against them.
11 Then he remembered the days of old,
of Moses and his people.
Where is he who brought them up out of the sea
with the shepherds of his flock?
Where is he who put in the midst of them
his Holy Spirit,
12 who caused his glorious arm
to go at the right hand of Moses,
who divided the waters before them
to make for himself an everlasting name,
13 who led them through the depths?
Like a horse in the desert,
they did not stumble.
14 Like livestock that go down into the valley,
the Spirit of the LORD gave them rest.
So you led your people,
to make for yourself a glorious name.
How harsh soe'er the way,
Dear Saviour, still lead on;
Nor leave us, 'till we say,
"Father, thy will be done."
Finish, dear Lord, what is begun.
Choose thou the way; but still lead on.
you preserve my life;
you stretch out your hand against the wrath of my enemies,
and your right hand delivers me.
8 The LORD will fulfill his purpose for me;
your steadfast love, O LORD, endures forever.
Do not forsake the work of your hands.
Finish, dear Lord, what is begun.
Choose thou the way; but still lead on.
there will be no end,
on the throne of David and over his kingdom,
to establish it and to uphold it
with justice and with righteousness
from this time forth and forevermore.
The zeal of the LORD of hosts will do this.
Finish, dear Lord, what is begun.
Choose thou the way; but still lead on.
the praises of the LORD,
according to all that the LORD has granted us,
and the great goodness to the house of Israel
that he has granted them according to his compassion,
according to the abundance of his steadfast love.
Hebrews 4:14 Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. 15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. 16 Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
Hebrews 12:1 ... let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.
"Nothing earthly will make me give up my work in despair. I encourage myself in the Lord my God, and go forward."
Choose thou the way; but still lead on.
Related:
- "Temptation" by Joseph Hart
- Postcards from God at Vail: "Why do you doubt Me?"
- Encouragements to press on in battling sin, # 2: moving beyond despondency | Scougal
- Bible Reading-Isaiah: When We Think the LORD Has Forsaken and Forgotten Us
- Bible Reading: Ezekiel 34-The True and Good Shepherd's Promises for the Scattered Sheep
- A Hymn for "Shelf" Times..."Lord, We Know That Thou Art Near Us"
- Satan is prowling...but God is in our midst...and He must win the battle!
- when we're being shaken: let us look unto JESUS!
- temptation, backsliding & God's immutability (Bible reading: Hebrews 6:17-18)
- Running the Race: "Frogs Can Only Move Forward"
- Lent V. - You follow me! (Are we steadfastly setting our faces to His will?)
- Bible Reading - Matthew 3 & 4: what we should expect after the baptism of the Spirit
- Our Twisted View of God
- All things (even bad things) work together for good...
- Christian, don't waste your life whining
- suffering & temptation provide us with "constant errands to go to Jesus" (M'Cheyne)
- What is your attitude toward trials and sufferings? ~ Whitefield's Journals
- Letter 13 on assurance and fighting for joy (strengthened for endurance and patience with joy)
- Shall we not drink the cup the Father has given us? (Letter 53 on assurance & fighting for joy)
- our Father's discipline, William Cowper on trials & sufferings (letter 61 on assurance & joy)
- asking a hard thing (letter 84 on assurance & fighting for joy)
- Gathering & Shattering | letter 101 on assurance & fighting for joy
- O, soul, do not worry ~ seeking God in temptation & doubt | letter 120 on assurance & joy
- you are Mine, not of the world (ministry's temptation, sorrow & joy) | letter 122 on assurance & joy
- "So you led your people to make for yourself a glorious name" (Isaiah 63:14b)
- Blessed Thirst in the Valley of Baca ~ Psalm 84
- when grace delays, has Love gone astray? ~ a hymn of assurance
- Lenten Reflections: When he broke all supply of bread (My breaking is for your blessing)
- temptation
- hanging, crucified ... I'm dying here
- In the midst of my temptations fierce ~ O, Jesus Christ, my Treasure first
Scripture quotations unless otherwise indicated are taken from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. Copyright ©2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations marked KJV are taken from the King James Version of the Holy Bible.
RSS feed
Recent Comments