stephen R Harrison

JOY 365: Day 17

Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds. – James 1:2

I spent about an hour on the phone with a friend who is facing a difficult situation with family. At the moment, there is much turmoil and strife in their family. They have been a good example to their family and have tried to bring peace and truth to a complex situation. As we talked, they expressed their frustration, disappointment, and hopelessness. They have spent countless hours in prayer and have trusted the Lord completely. However, their family has chosen sinfulness and appears to be deceived by temporary pleasure and worldly wisdom. As we worshiped in church today, I noticed they were kneeling, praying, and crying out to God. Their prayerful position wasn’t one of hopelessness, but of trust. They weren’t turning to God after everything fell apart. They had been trusting Him all along, and they were expressing their submission and devotion through prayerful worship. 

It made me think about a verse in James 1:2 that says, “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds.” At first glance, this verse seems ironic. How can we have joy during trials? The answer is in the following verses. These trials build perseverance, which in turn builds maturity in Christ. We grow through adversity. No one wants trials, but when we face them, it is important that we do so with trust and dependence. We must count our blessings. We must count on the Lord to see us through. Trials are hard, no one denies that. As we allow God to lead us through temporary trials, we draw near to Him and are conformed more to His image, which produces everlasting joy.

How can your eternal joy increase during your temporary trial?