-January 20, 2022-
Good morning, happy Thursday,
“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.”
(James 1:2-4).
James, the half brother of Jesus, was a leader and teacher in the church. He calls himself, “a bondservant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ. This epistle that he wrote is written to believers “in the twelve tribes that are scattered abroad.” His teaching is very personal and practical.
Throughout his epistle, James calls the saints, “my brethren.” From the beginning you can see his love for them and his desire for their spiritual growth and benefit. He begins with subject of trials. Trials are sent by God for our growth. If we had no trials, we wouldn’t grow very much and we would tend to rely on our own strength and wisdom. When trials come, we are compelled to rely on the Lord. This is why James wrote, “My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience.”
We don’t rejoice in the pain, hardship, sorrow or difficulty of the trial, but rather at the end result of God working in our lives. Trials produce patience. Trials in the NT are also referred to as testing, tribulation, and affliction. God sends His grace to handle the trials and produces the patience, or as it can be translated endurance, that we sorely need. When patience has its perfect result, we will be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.
Paul wrote of a similar subject in Romans 5:3, “And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope.” Peter also wrote, “In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 1:6-7).
We can thus count it all joy, rejoice in our trials, and thank the Lord for what they produce in our lives: patience, perseverance, character, hope, praise, honor, glory, and greater faith. They have great value both in this life and at the Lord’s coming to take us to heaven. As someone said, “Lifetime is training time for reigning time.” Instead of complaining, resisting, or protesting our trials, we should rejoice and be thankful for what God is doing in our lives for our growth and benefit. It is our choice, we must make choice to rejoice!
Have a blessed day counting our trials as a blessing for our good. We learn and grow so much through them. Stay safe and healthy.
In His grace and mercy,
Dean
Dean Allen's Daily Devotional 