I want to thank you for taking the time to read the blog this week. I also want to thank the Lord for giving me the opportunity to post these messages each week. I hope and pray that you are all doing well and are in good health.
Last week, we began a new series of messages on the book of James. Over the course of the next several weeks, we will be going through James to see what the Lord has to teach us from this book. Last week, we went over the authorship of the book along with some of the major themes in the book. Today, we will be studying what James has to tell us about the trials that we encounter in this life.
In James 1:2 we are told to, "Count it all joy when you fall into various trials." This is a hard statement to come to grips with. I don't know of too many people who are filled with joy when they encounter hard times in this life. I know that I want my life to have as few hard times as possible. Realistically, everyone who lives on this planet will undergo hard times and trials at some time or another. Some people face hardships and trials every single day of their lives.
There is a reason that James tells us that we can count it all joy when we fall into various trials. Verse 3 states, "knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience."
The hard trials that we face in life are often tests of our faith. I know this from personal experience. After my parents passed away, I was faced with some very severe financial problems. For awhile, I didn't know if I was going to make it through. I wondered at times if the Lord would deliver me, and sometimes I questioned whether God really cared about me at all.
Thanks be to God, the Lord did see my through this trial and hard time in my life. Jesus kept His promise to never leave me or forsake me. Throughout this, and other difficult trials and circumstances, I have felt the peace in my heart that Jesus promised to those who would place their faith and trust in Him.
I have found, and I believe this is what James is trying to say, that when we encounter a trial or a hard time, it builds our faith in the ability of God to work in our lives and see us through when we encounter hard times and trials in the future. James says it this way in verse 4, "But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing."
When we come out on the other side of a difficult time or trial of faith, we build our faith. We have experience with the goodness and provision of the Lord, and this strengthens our faith and trust in the Lord Jesus.
Throughout my life, I've had a great deal of trouble with my health. I was born with a condition that caused me to have an immune system that does not work properly. There have been many hard times and trials dealing with the ramifications of this condition. I've had to go to the Lord on many occasions to ask Him to see me through. As the Lord Jesus has brought me through these difficulties, it has allowed me to have confidence in the Lord to see me through when other things go wrong or are hard in my life. I know that I can have confidence in Him, because He has been faithful to deliver me in various other hard circumstances and trials.
I am not one that believes that God is perpetually sending us trials to build up our faith. I believe that just living in this world presents us with bad things and hard times to get through. The Lord will use these hard times to build our faith and make us better people. He wants us to trust in Him and in our past experiences with Him.
I don't know what trials and struggles you might be going through right now. However, I know that you can rely on the presence of the Lord to see you through the rough times that you are going through right now. I encourage you to keep believing in the Lord and in His goodness.
Hold on to the words of Hebrews 13:8 that tells us that "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever." We know the great and mighty things that the Lord Jesus did for others in the Scriptures. He is the same today as He was then. He can help you to make it through. He has promised that no matter what happens to us in this life, we will be with Him for all eternity if we place our confidence in Him. Amen.
Prayer Requests
Please pray that the coronavirus vaccines will be distributed quickly so that we can get this plague behind us. Pray that those who are sick will recover.
I am having a few health problems right now. Please pray that I will get better. Thank you.
We need to remember to continue to pray for peace in this world. Iraq had an incident this week, so let us pray for peace there. Continue to pray for peace in Afghanistan, Syria, Libya and Yemen.
For our prayer focus countries this week, let us all pray for those who live in Senegal and China. Pray that many will come to know about the Lord Jesus.
Next week, we will continue in our series on James. I will post the sermon on Friday. I will post the verses on Monday, and I hope to have a post on Wednesday. May God bless you all.
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