Jeremiah 29:11 KJV
For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.  
• DAILY READING – 1 Corinthians 5; 1 Kings 18; Amos 2:1-3:2
God has an expected end in mind for us. That end is glory. It doesn’t matter how things may appear, as long as you love God, be assured He is working out all things for your glorious end. 

In 2016 the Japanese auto giant, Toyota Motor Corp., issued two global recall for its cars. One of these was a recall for 3.37 million hybrid cars worldwide to fix the faulty airbag system and emission control unit. These faults were as a result of deviation from the Toyota prototype. Though this exercise cost Toyota a lot of money, they didn’t relent as they were determined and focused on creating excellent products that conformed to the prototype. In manufacturing design, the prototype is the early model, of a product which is replicated severally. And manufacturers always strive to conform to the  prototype in their products.   

We are God’s products; His people and the sheep of His pasture. And God has specifically set Christ as our prototype. God is patterning us to be conformed to the image of Christ. Jesus is the pattern son. And God is committed to ensuring that we all become reflections of His perfect image. Romans 8:29 tells us  that God has predestined us to be conformed to the image of his Son.

Christlikeness is the eternal predestinated purpose of God for us.

 God therefore uses life experiences to teach and train us daily to become like Christ. Therefore when you go through trials and challenges, understand that ultimately God is at work to manifest His glory through you.  He is pruning and preparing you to conform to the prototype. 

This is why we count it all joy, when we meet trials of various kinds, for we know that the testing is producing in us something far greater. 

Corinthians 4;17 says    ‘For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory’

The trials, challenges and temptations are presenting to us opportunities to manifest a Christ-like character. We are being pruned to become more and more like Christ.  Hebrew 12:11 says that no chastising for the present seems to be joyous, but grievous, but afterward, it yields the fruit of righteousness, unto them which are thereby exercised.  We may not enjoy being disciplined. It may seem to cause more pain than joy. But later on, we will see the benefits of the exercise. 

The important thing is to use every opportunity God brings our way to be daily more like Jesus. No matter what challenges, we should never give up on the quest to be like Jesus. Our greatest glory is not in never failing, but in rising up each time. Like Paul we must keep pressing forward towards the mark of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. 

And one way to achieve a Christ-like character is by daily renewing our mind through constant study of The Word. The more we look into The Word the more we are being transformed by The Spirit, from glory to glory. It is only when your eye is single that your body can be full of light. The sun’s rays do not burn until brought to a focus.  Therefore in the quest to be Christ like, we must root out distractions and focus on The Word. We can only successfully become Christ-like, when we daily look to Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith. 

PRAYER: Lord, please help me to become addicted to Your Word, so that as I study daily, I will be transformed by The Spirit into the very image of Christ in Jesus Name  

QUOTE 

God is preparing you for the season He prepared your breakthrough. – WORDBITE 222.  

 [ADAPTED FROM THE BRING BACK THE GLORY]