Good Morning Friends,
“Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever
you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith
develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be
mature and complete, not lacking anything. Blessed is the man who perseveres under
trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life
that God has promised to those who love him.” (James 1:2-4, 12)
James mentions “trials of many kinds.” Just a
brief look at the lives of the people around you will confirm that there are
many kinds of trials that people must face. Hurricanes strike multiple times a
year to the coastal regions of the U.S. Typhoons strike with equal frequency in
the South Pacific. Tornados hit the Midwest. Devastating snow storms affect the
North and East. Earthquakes and tsunamis are regular occurrences. Drought,
disease, infestation of insects – all of these are trials we can read about in
our own lifetimes.
Those are all natural disasters. But natural
disasters are not the only kinds of trials that strike people. Wars and terrorist
strikes cause devastation for some. Crime sprees hit every city and state. There
are many trials that are caused by human activity.
And large scale trials aren’t the only kind
of trials that affect men and women. Trials strike individual lives, too. Cancer,
heart attack, disease, injury, layoff, and on and on the list goes. You may be
facing some kind of trial yourself right now. If not, you probably have faced
some trial in the recent past or will in the coming months. Trials of many kinds
afflict us all.
James says that we can face them with joy. That’s
not because the trials are pleasant to experience. It’s because of the promise
of God to use even the difficult things of life to accomplish good things in
our lives. In fact, it is only through the perseverance that trials bring that
growth and maturity come. There is one more reason James gives that we can face
the trials in our lives with joy – because there will come a day when the
trials will end and on the other side of the trials is reward. That is God’s
promise!
His, by Grace,
Steve
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