December 26 James 1:2-3
“Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.”
My first thought is “Are you kidding!” I believe the idea here is about priorities of reference. The key word in the sentence is faith. Then I remember my varieite verse Romans 8:28. “ All things work together for good for those who trust the Lord.”
With this frame of reference I can think hopefully about what the positive result may be. Perhaps stronger perserverence might be all. Yet even that is something. Plus at 74 I have persevered through many, many trials. In retrospect the blessings count as more memorable.
However, realistically it is not so easy to be joyful at the death of a spouse or the loss of a job, or the betrayal of a friend. However, with faith in the love and goodness of God things eventually work out for good.
What are your thoughts on this challenging verse?
For more posts click here.