Luke 6:12-16 - “In these days he went out to the mountains to pray, and all night he continued in prayer to God. And when day came, he called his disciples and chose from them twelve, whom he named apostles…Matthew [a tax collector]…and Simon who was called the Zealot…”

Phil. 2:29-30 - “So receive [Epaphroditus] in the Lord with all joy, and honor such men, for he nearly died for the work of Christ, risking his life to complete what was lacking in your service to me.”

This passage has been one of my favorites for years. It is so convicting and challenging! In it, Paul praised the willingness of Epaphroditus to risk his personal health and well-being in order to lovingly minister to him…

James 1:2-4 - Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

Recently I attended a Bible study where a brother was wrestling with God’s sovereignty and goodness. Trust me, as a 37-year-old father who has experienced the loss of two children, I am familiar with that struggle! Our brother was wrestling with James’ inspired description of Job as an example of someone who experienced God’s intentional compassion and mercy (James 5:11) and our friend made some pretty strong statements that I think need examining. Let’s think through the topic for just a minute…

Matthew 5:12-14 - “You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet. “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.”