James 1:2-4

“Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.”

Once upon a time there was a young Christian couple named Phil and Marie. They had been married two years and were so happy that they seemed to radiate the love of God. Their love of God was duplicated in the love that they had for each other. They had plans for Phil to pursue his education in order to become a medical doctor and for them to serve as missionaries somewhere as the Lord would lead.

All of this changed dramatically when Phil took an insurance physical examination. When the doctor asked that Marie be with him when he went back for the results, he had a sense of dread. He was diagnosed with a serious heart condition. It was like a physical blow. Phil’s head reeled as he tried to process what the doctor had just said.

As they went back home, they were unusually silent. The radio in their car was tuned to a Christian radio station. It was no accident that the hymn, “God Will Take Care of You”, was playing. It had been years since they had heard it. The second verse seemed designed just for them; “Through days of toil when your heart doth fail, God will take care of you; when dangers fierce your path assail, God will take care of you.”

When they arrived back home they immediately sat down at the kitchen table. Phil took Marie’s hands in his and bowed his head to lead in prayer. He committed all their tomorrows to the Lord and promised to live differently than those who have no assurance of eternal life.

This hypothetical narrative is very true in many lives. Some of you readers are going through life and death ordeals in your life right now. It is critical to understand the purpose of God as we go through these times of trial. In today’s Scripture, James is giving the pattern we should follow: “Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds.”

You’ve got to be kidding, James! How can we react to terrible calamities with pure joy? The answer is that we do it with the help of the Lord and also with spiritual understanding. In this first look at the subject for this week, I want us to consider that it is the way we react to bad news that our Christian character is developed.

We can cry and scream about how unfair life is, but that will never develop Christian character. The alternative is to go before the Lord with great confidence. That confidence is not a demand that we be healed, but that we be used in the way which the Lord desires to use us, and we do it with “pure joy”.

We attend seminars or read books about how to reach the unsaved, yet when adversity strikes, we often behave as the rest of the world. Our true sermons are preached about how we live our life more than saying words–even spiritually sounding words.

James chapter one teaches us that by finding pure joy to devastating situations in our life we will have a profound witness to those around us. I suggest that we meditate on James 1:2-4. We are to show forth a Christ-like attitude toward the hammer blows of life.

Blessings dear hearts. Walk with God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing.

- - - Pastor Cecil