On Trial | Season 3 Ep 7

Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds… James 1:2

 

Well, that’s happy isn’t it. How in the heck are you supposed to count it as joy when you are fighting for your life?

By remembering who your joy is rooted in. Our joy is in Christ and he is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow. He is our anchor. So when trials come, we know they are going to, that’s where we go. He is our safe place to come up for air. No one lives a perfect, unbothered life all the time. Be prepared for trials by knowing where you can turn.

 

James doesn’t leave us hanging with dread. He goes on to say in verse 3, “because you know the testing of your faith develops perseverance.” You know because you have learned. You’ve been through tough times before and you know that God is faithful and that he is good. Because he is…everyone together…the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow. You have learned just like Paul in Philippians 4:11. (You are like Paul!) The testing is just a way to prove what you are made of. It’s easy to have faith and believe that God is good if good is all you know. That’s why you have to develop, to work out, how you handle trials.

 

God cares deeply about us. He cares about our trials. He wants us to have endurance and maturity. Those are the things that make us strong, so we aren’t tossed about. Trials are good. They serve a purpose. Having joy during doesn’t make them stink less. It also doesn’t mean that you can’t lament your woes to the Lord. It does mean that you can rest and be hopeful that better days are coming and that God is still there. And he is still in control.