“Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds.” James 1:2, esv
Do you know why you’re here? On earth? Have you thought much about that lately?
At this point in history, it’s easy to just skim information, watch random video clips, or amuse ourselves with whatever’s trending. The Bible, however, speaks of inescapable realities that are much more important than whatever’s streaming on your device at the moment.
Such as, Why are you here? Do you know? Because that’s what matters. And that’s what God’s Word is here to show you.
“Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds.” This single verse, though perhaps not a direct answer to that question, gives us clues as to why we’re here. It indicates that we are not here just for laughs, to run a successful business, to become well-known or famous, or to earn a name for ourselves. We are here for purposes that require us to go through a lifetime of challenges and tight spots—“trials of various kinds”—so that we can display the superiority of life lived in God.
Mind if I say that one more time? We are here to display the superiority of the life lived in God. That’s a really important sentence. Because as you know, trials and troubles come to all people. They’re a part of everyone’s life. But in how many people do those same trials and troubles produce . . . “joy”?
Joy is not normal. Joy is supernatural. You can’t craft it in your basement or create it through an experience of hard work or pleasure. Joy is something you can only get from God. Therefore, unlike those who don’t know Him or don’t have a genuine faith in Him, believers in Christ are the only ones supernaturally equipped to walk through “trials of various kinds,” generating “joy” in the process.
That’s why even Christians get cancer. That’s why even Christians go bankrupt. That’s why even Christians can have prodigal kids, suffer chronic back pain, receive rejection letters in the mail, and get into accidents on the freeway. God allows us to face and feel the same things that people who don’t know Him experience, so that we can put on display the joyful distinction of what it means to be His child—what it means to live with hope and eternal perspective.
So press your mind down on that. Think about it hard today. In light of what’s happening to you right now, and in light of why you’re here, what can you do in this moment to best display the superiority of life with God?
Journal
Pray
Lord, thank You for Your Word that helps me understand what’s often so hard to understand. Thank You for making joy an available option for me—at all times, in all situations. Use me today, through whatever pathway You know is best, to be a conduit of this joy to others. Make my life an invitation for them to draw near to You and experience what You alone can give. In Jesus’ name, amen.
God, Are You Really Fair?
There appeared to him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of incense. And Zechariah was troubled when he saw him, and fear fell upon him. But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah.” Luke 1:11–13, esv
Every time in Scripture when God’s presence is revealed, the person to whom it’s revealed feels fear. And then the messenger, or more often the Lord Himself, says, “Do not be afraid.”
It’s like, for example, when Jesus revealed Himself to His first disciples by causing a miraculous catch of fish. Peter said, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord” (Luke 5:8), but Jesus said to him, “Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men” (Luke 5:10).
Or in Revelation, when He revealed Himself to the apostle John, who said, “When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. But he laid his right hand on me, saying, ‘Fear not, I am the first and the last’” (Revelation 1:17).
I think the angels must have been watching Him, because when they appear at various points in the Bible, and the person doesn’t know what to do with their scared, startled emotions, the angels always do what Jesus did.
Don’t be afraid, they say. What a comforting word.
Have you experienced the comforting presence of the Lord in your life? If you’ve been sad and someone’s given you happiness, that’s comfort. If you’ve been confused and someone’s given you wisdom, that’s comfort. If you’ve been fearful and someone’s said to you, “Don’t be afraid”—that’s comforting, isn’t it? “Comfort, comfort my people, says your God” (Isaiah 40:1). The Lord comforts His children.
He always has.
One of the classic books on the Christian bookshelf was written in the 1870s by Hannah Whitall Smith, a 43-year-old housewife at the time. It’s called The Christian’s Secret of a Happy Life, but don’t let the title fool you. It’s not a light, cheesy, be-happy, self-help, pop psychology kind of thing. This woman lost a preborn child. She lost a daughter to bronchial pneumonia. Her grown son, while a sophomore at Princeton University, died of typhoid fever, leaving her broken-hearted. Her husband had emotional problems, was in and out of sanatoriums, bankrupted the family’s wealth, and then—just when things started to go better—was caught in multiple marital infidelities.
But out of these dark places, she wrote of God’s comforting nearness. They weren’t insights learned on a mountain. They were realities experienced in the valley, where His comfort is actually felt the greatest.
I’ve gone through some deep valleys in my day, and, as a pastor, I get to go through some deep valleys with other people, too. I’m not generally the person they call to say their kid is doing great in baseball. My phone rings most often when the heartache comes. But as a result—like almost every pastor—I’ve gotten a front row seat to God’s comfort. I’ve seen people experience the reality of His presence.
Know this: God is awesome in the comfort category.
If you’re going through difficult circumstances, there’s a way. If you’re in the middle of the darkest night, He gives peace and assurance and a confidence from His Spirit that can’t be explained.
Don’t be afraid. The Lord is near. Be comforted.
Journal
Pray
Lord, You know my distresses and the pains of my heart. You know where I’m needful of Your comfort. Thank You that You always provide comfort at exactly the right time and in exactly the right way. Thank You for the precious truth that, “In your presence there is fullness of joy” (Psalm 16:11). So I won’t be afraid, because You will give me everything my soul requires. And out of Your comfort, You will give me an overflow to share with others. In the strong name of Jesus I pray, amen.
New Power for the Discouraged
John 20:11-18
I’ll be honest – I’m pretty familiar with discouragement. But thank the Lord for His strength, hope, and encouragement. I want to pass that along to you, especially if you’re feeling weighed down right now.
Take heart and get ready. God’s Word is going to feed us again.
Why Trials? | James 1
“God is in control!” You’ve heard that countless times, or even spoken it – but do you believe it?
Is God still in control when you’re suffering through a trial?
In the most painful circumstances. we need meaningful answers to life’s deepest questions. Let’s turn to James chapter 1 and allow God’s Word to open our eyes and inform our hearts…
Reject Rejection – First This
Matthew 5:25
WE ALL EXPERIENCE REJECTION – and its scars can remain a heavy burden. But if, in dealing with it, your solution does not leave you closer to God, it was not God’s solution for you.
You must continue on in faith! If you believe that God’s blessings are for other people and not for you, if you believe that God is secretly somehow angry with you over the things that you regret, then you need to know a lot more about the Lord!
Join us in faith as we continue learning to handle this difficult subject. Open your Bible to Matthew 5:25 and get ready for Rejecting Rejection – First This!
Five Truths for Troubled Hearts | John 14:1-14
Humble Yourself, Part 1 | John 13:1-17
God is in Control |Acts 12
In the most challenging and unexpected seasons of life, someone may have told you “God is in control.”
This weekend, first-century believers will remind us why we can trust God and His will.
Growing throughout the book of Acts, the early church was marked by chaos, persecution, life threatening opposition. Yet even then, they actively trusted that the Lord is in control.
Let’s learn from them. Because even when you suffer, even when it’s midnight, even when your faith is weak – and even when the wicked seem to prosper – God is always in control.
Keep Up . . . Or Else! | Hebrews 3:16 | Don’t Stop Now: Keep Up