“My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.” [1]
~James 1:2-4
When I read this text, I immediately thought that James was tired and had lost his mind, saying, “count it all joy when you fall into various trials.” I have been through various trials and thought I was going to lose my mind. As I matured in what this Scripture was instructing me to do, I began to understand what it meant and whom I was to trust.
James was the half-brother of Jesus and the leader of the Jerusalem Church. He was a devout Jew and wrote to Jews and Jewish believers scattered throughout the Roman world. They were persecuted for what they believed and were tested by trials and problems in their ministries and homes, and James was writing to help them mature in their faith.
This letter of James is practical and something we can all learn from, as I did, and begin to live by faith. I am a strong believer that what we believe will determine how we react and behave.
The first and most important thing to learn is to let:
The Holy Spirit Take Control.
Joy is a deep, unshakable gladness of the soul produced by the Holy Spirit. Unlike fleeting happiness that depends on good circumstances. There have been times when I couldn’t remember any cloudy days. Every day was sunny, and I was running on all twelve cylinders. That was in my youthful days, but as I got older, I had some cloudy days, and then a lot of cloudy days came. The job became messy and political; the children grew up, and the teenage years were a challenge. Things started to droop and fall. Somewhere along the line, the money became shorter than the month (Amazon, Macy’s, Publix, etc.), somewhat of a drum-major instinct, always wanting to be out front, and the ends never met. But I did not give up.
The second thing I learned was:
You Need Wisdom In The Trial.
Sometimes you need the help of a Godly man or woman who is Spiritual and full of wisdom to counsel you. As I think of this statement, I read in Acts 5:33-41, where Gamaliel, a council teacher of the Pharisees, stood up with wisdom on Peter’s and the other Apostles’ behalf. Let me assure you that there will come a day when you will face trails in youir life if you are not already in a trial, but this verse helps us to find encouragement that we can find joy regardless of whatever we face, verse 41, says, “So they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for His name.” The Apostles trusted God through their trial, and the result was their individual growth.
When you trust God, trials work for you and not against you.
Do you realize how rich you are? Read Romans 5:1-5. The riches of Christ give us access to God’s peace, grace, joy, hope, love, and the Holy Spirit. Trials help us develop Christian character. (Read Psalm 103) In your spare time.
The Third and final thing:
Be Sure Your Heart Is Wholly Yielded To Him
If your heart and mind are divided, trials will tear you apart. Whether you are a Christian (I pray that you are) or not, I will help you get there in a moment. But it’s important to know that you need a solid belief system rooted in Jesus if you want to get through whatever challenge you are facing with joy. God is working in us to complete the process He started. Philippians 1:6 says; being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ. Let me be clear here: James is not telling us that our trials and hardships should make us happy or that we should pretend they don’t hurt or are difficult; that is not what James is saying. James knows that if we run the race, something will come of our not giving up.
“Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us,”
Ephesians 3:20 NIV
God is not going to waste our trials and suffering; He’s going to do something beyond what we can imagine. Hebrews 13:5-6 says, “He will never leave you nor forsake you.” Look around and see how many people are displaying joy even though they have so many toys, a decent bank account, and are reasonably healthy, yet are still miserable with so much drama trying to suck you in. Don’t be pulled into someone else’s mess.
Let me conclude with this:
You need to have a paradigm shift. Stop looking at the world’s way of finding joy. Study the Bible’s way and practice what it says; that’s how you become joyful. Learn from Peter, who took his eyes off Jesus and began to sink. Jesus is your target; keep your eyes upon Him.
Listen, nowhere in the Bible does it call for us to be comfortable, but He tells us to be courageous. To not be hearers only, but be doers of His word. In our weakness, strength is manifested in Him. We need to set better priorities.
If you liked this video, would you comment and subscribe to this channel so you can stay up to date on future content that’s coming out, and we’ll see you next time.
Let’s Pray
Prayer
Heavenly Father,
Thank You for walking with us through every trial and every difficult season. When our faith is tested, help us to remember that You are refining us, not rejecting us. Give us the wisdom to see beyond our present circumstances and trust that You are accomplishing Your perfect work within us.
Strengthen us when we grow weary. Give us courage when fear tries to overwhelm us. Fill us with patience as You develop endurance in our lives, and help us to remain steadfast in our faith, knowing that every trial has a divine purpose.
Teach us to depend more fully upon Your grace and the power of the Holy Spirit. May every challenge draw us closer to You and shape us into the image of Jesus Christ. Let our lives become a testimony of Your faithfulness, so that others may see Your strength through our perseverance.
We trust that You are working all things together for our good and for Your glory.
In the mighty name of Jesus, we pray.
Amen.
https://beaconlightmin.com/the-season-of-growth-devotion-2/
