Tag Archives: Trials

All Joy

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There are lots of things that we can be happy about.

I tell folks I’m about a lot things.

Time with family.

A good song.

A good jog.

Getting stuff checked of my to do list.

An Ole  Miss victory (ok, I’ve been sad a lot recently 🙂 )

We all have things in life that make us happy, that bring joy to our lives, that are things that just make our life better. Things we look forward to. Things we treasure.

James writes today in his letter (one of my favorite books of the bible, by the way) these words about what should bring joy:

2 My brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of any kind, consider it nothing but joy, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance; 4and let endurance have its full effect, so that you may be mature and complete, lacking in nothing.

Of all things that bring me joy, I don’t tend to think of them as trials. Well, other than the 2010 Ole Miss football team.  But the things that bring me joy of those moments of life

My children. . . . my family. . . . . my church. . . . the good things. . . .

But James reminds us to be thankful in trials, because these time of trials produce endurance. These moments of trials and troubles bring forth maturity.

It’s old, it’s corny, but it’s true. That which doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.

It’s hard to praise God in a storm. It’s hard to rejoice in a trial. It’s hard to laugh in the midst of tears. It’s hard to find that silver lining in the dark cloud.

But, it’s there. God is there. His strength is there.

He will never leave or forsake His children. He loves you. Today.  He will not leave you. Today.

No matter what you’re going through. No matter how dark the valley.  No matter what is happening.

You.  Will.  Survive.

God is with you. He will strengthen you.

Whatever trial you are going through right now, God will bring you through it.

He will.

He promised.

Count it all joy today. God will bring you through the fire today.  He is true to His word.

Our First Option? Or Our Last Option?

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Troubles come. That’s part of life. Times of trial come.  That’s part of life.

What will be our response to our troubles. What will be a our response to our trials?

What will we do when we are in these tough times. When those we love are in these tough times?

I was reading about Peter this morning in Acts. It had gotten tough. James had been killed.  Now Peter was locked up, and would probably be killed later.

He was in jail, waiting, when an angel of the Lord came and freed him.

Then this happens:

11Then Peter came to himself and said, ‘Now I am sure that the Lord has sent his angel and rescued me from the hands of Herod and from all that the Jewish people were expecting.’ 12As soon as he realized this, he went to the house of Mary, the mother of John whose other name was Mark, where many had gathered and were praying.

The thing that struck me this morning in this text was not Peter’s imprisonment.  It wasn’t the angel freeing him.  It was the response of his friends and family.  What did they do?

They gathered, and they prayed.

In our life, we sometimes have to respond to unpleasant situations. Things that happen to us. To those we love. To those we care for.

How will we respond?  Will we grow angry?  Bitter?  Resentful?

Or, will we do what they did in the text today?

Will we pray?  Will we turn it over to God? Will we seek His face?

When the tough times come, when the trials come, what will be our response?

Prayer should not be our last option. For many of us, we pray when we’ve done everything else.

Pray shouldn’t be our last options.  It should be our first option.

May we be a praying people.

Hard

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Sometimes it’s hard to follow Jesus.

The Christian life is a not a bed or roses. Sometimes life gets really hard. Sometimes the things He asks of us are hard.  Sometimes the trials we go through are hard.

Sometimes there are no easy answers and there seems like there is no easy way.

Sometimes we may be tempted to say, it’s not worth the work, worth the trouble, worth the effort.

Sometimes we can feel like walking away.

And we read what happens today in John 9:

66 At this point many of his disciples turned away and deserted him. 67 Then Jesus turned to the Twelve and asked, “Are you also going to leave?” 68 Simon Peter replied, “Lord, to whom would we go? You have the words that give eternal life. 69 We believe, and we know you are the Holy One of God.

Lord, to whom would we go?  That’s the question that Peter asked. Where else is life.

Yes, it’s hard sometimes.Yes, there are trials sometimes.  Yes, there are times when we aren’t sure that want to keep going.

But, where else could we go.

Life is found in Jesus.  He is life.  He is what matters the most.  He is where life and love and peace and joy are found.

We will not find it anywhere else.

If we are looking for life, it is found only in Jesus.

Not in our work, or family, or finances, or successes.  Only in Jesus.

The trials, the troubles, the tests, they are worth it.  For in Jesus, we find life.

Today, even when it is hard, may we remember where life is found.

Thanks be to God!

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In Scripture, there are just certain passages that you read and you go – that’s it!  That’s how I feel!  That’s what I’m feeling, that’s what I’m experiencing

For me, Paul’s words in Romans 7 are that.  When I read the end of Romans 7, I say, yep, that’s the story of my life, that summarizes my feelings.  Today, as I read through it, a couple of things from this chapter just leapt out to me.

Paul writes:

I want to do what is right, but I can’t. 19 I want to do what is good, but I don’t. I don’t want to do what is wrong, but I do it anyway. 20 But if I do what I don’t want to do, I am not really the one doing wrong; it is sin living in me that does it.

Hello?  Man, oh man, I’ve been there.  I know what’s right.  I know what’s wrong.  I know what I should do, I know what I shouldn’t do!

I know it.  It’s not guess-work.  I know the answer.  I know how I should live, serve, give, who I should be.  It’s a plain as the nose on my face.

And what do I do? What’s wrong. What I shouldn’t do. The very thing I don’t want to do. The very thing I despise.

The good I should do I don’t do, the evil I shouldn’t do, I do.

In other words, that thing that we struggle with.  That we know we shouldn’t do. That day after day after day we know we should not do – that very thing we do!

UGH.  It drive me crazy.  I don’t want to do it!  I want to be different.  I want to live apart from these sins.  Yet, I keep falling into it.

What am I to do?

The reason why I love this passage is because Paul gives an answer:

25 Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord.

The answer is not my will power.  It’s not in my being good enough, smart enough, strong enough.

I can’t. I’ve already proved that.

It’s not in what I can do.  It’s in what He can do.

I can do nothing.  He can do all things.  I am weak, He is strong. I choose what is wrong.  He is what is right.

Through ourselves, our own devices, our own choosing, we get ourselves in trouble.

Through Jesus, we find life.

Thanks be to God!

Today, trust in Him. Rely upon Him. Cast your cares on Him.  He is life.  He is strength.  He is hope.  Lean not on yourself, but on Him.  Trust.  Live.  With Him.

Thanks be to God!  For in Him, all things are possible.

Strength

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Today as I was reading the New Testament Reading for the day in Colossians, something really jumped out to me.  Here are verses 11-14

11 May you be made strong with all the strength that comes from his glorious power, and may you be prepared to endure everything with patience, while joyfully 12 giving thanks to the Father, who has enabled you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the light. 13 He has rescued us from the power of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of his beloved Son, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

We are encouraged to be strong – but not with our own strength, but with the strength that comes from God. Why? Why are we to be strong in that strength in particular? Aren’t we strong enough as it is?

The text tells us we need to be ready to endure everything with patience.  In other words, trouble is coming. Trouble is coming down the road at some point. It could be today, it could be tomorrow. It could be a year from now, a decade from now. Who knows. But, trouble. is coming.

And, Paul tell us not just to suffer through this trouble, but to endure it with patience, and even joy. Now, I can’t do that. I don’t even like waiting at a red light, much less endure troubles with patience and joy. If I’m going through something I don’t like, I want it to be over as quickly as possible.

That’s what I want.  That may not be what God wants.  God may be wanting to teach me something through a time of trial. He may be wanting to teach me dependance upon Him.  Trust of Him. Faith in Him.  To teach me that this world is not my home.  That my life is not not found in the stuff of the world.  He may be wanting to teach me many, many lessons.

But, without the patience that He longs to give me, I will miss them.  And, without His strength, I do not have that patience. Without His strength, I do not have His wisdom. Without His strength, I will not learn, I will just muddle through, whatever I’m doing.  Even the good stuff.

So, that means for us today, if things are great, then we need to be faithful. We need to be worshiping, reading scripture, and praying. We need to be connected to God and to His people. We need to be living His life. Because, trouble will be coming some day. And for us, this may be the day of preparation for that trouble that is to come.

And, if we are going through troubles, remember. Your strength is not found within you.  It is found in God. Don’t rely upon yourself, your strength, you wisdom. Trust in God.  Lean on Him.  Turn to Him. Rest in Him.

And, then you will find more strength than you ever through possible.

Today, and always, for strength, turn to the source of our strength. Turn to God.