Trials

This morning I was reading out of James 1:2-4.

“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.”

Let’s take a minute to digest these few verses.

Have you taken a few minutes to meditate. Sometimes we gloss over parts of scripture we find we don’t like or don’t want to think about.

For those who do not know my teaching. I like a guy by the name of David Guzik. He has contributed commentaries to the Blue Letter Bible. There is a link on the menu button.

I digress! The following is an excerpt from his James commentary.

a. Count it all joy when you fall into various trials: James regarded trials as inevitable. He said when, not if you fall into various trials. At the same time trials are occasions for joy, not discouraged resignation. We can count it all joy in the midst of trials because they are used to produce patience.

I know that when we are going through trials it is hard to see the good that will come out of it. However James says the testing of our faith will produce patience. Patience when cultivated will make us complete, lacking nothing.

Before you say “well Jym what do you know” or “ you don’t know what i am going through “.

Your right I don’t know your specific case but I have been through trials. So I have experience in this area. Some of my trials were self inflicted and some were not. The self inflicted ones are the hardest ones. So please find it in your heart to forgive yourself, if you are in a self inflicted trial right now. That is in the past and you can change it.

My prayer for you today is that you would stop fighting this trial and partner with Jesus to tackle this trial.